Forever Love, New Improved Version
by Ksonic
Summary: The picture seemed to symbolize so much for Sonic and Amy.It signified when Sonic first smiled at Amy jumping him, it signified Sonic's amazing love for Amy when he was Eggman's slave, and now it signified how their love would never fail.Absolutely never.
1. The World's Perspective

With a push of a button, the hedgehog turned on the TV, instantly heading to channel four, where he knew the news would be on. Leaning back in his seat, he watched the box almost emotionlessly as it talked about the day's weather, and the sports. Sighing, he almost headed to channel eight, where something more interesting should be on, when he heard his name.

His name defiantly wasn't uncommon to hear on the square box; but he hadn't heard it on TV for so long…

"Recent news that will freak many of you out. Don't worry," the news reporter, who was old raccoon, chuckled. "This is good news. At about five this morning a call was received here at the news station where a local named Wesley the Weasel, said he had just been awoken by a sonic boom." The news reporter paused for effect, his face shining brightly. "Later in the morning we got five more calls reporting the same thing. And, now folks, we know what the sound was. It was, as we hoped, Sonic the Hedgehog. He has returned."

At this rather profound statement, Sonic laughed, just about earning him a smart smack from his new girlfriend, but she hesitated, remembering he had gone through enough pain for a life time. Tails, who was also in the room, smiled at the two of them.

"Shush, Sonic," she scolded instead, focusing on the TV once more. "Don't you want to hear what they have to say about your return?"

She snuggled into Sonic's chest, and sighed, looking back up at him when he didn't respond. Tails politely looked away, saying something about him needing a drink of water, and he walked out of the room, leaving the two love-birds alone for a while.

"I don't know if it'll all be good, though, Ames," Sonic replied slowly, not wanting to upset Amy, who seemed rather interested in the news report. "I mean, I did kinda work for the enemy for six months…"

Amy seemed about to respond, probably to say it was nothing, but she didn't seem to have an answer, and again looked up at her boyfriend.

"But, you did it for a reason," she murmured softly, and Sonic sighed.

"I did it for you; your safety, and maybe our other friends," he answered truthfully, looking deep into her eyes which were filling with tears. "I didn't do it for the world. In fact, I kinda put them in danger. Not that I wanted to or anything…" He paused, trying to think of what more to say when he saw a tear fall from Amy's eyes. "They're not gonna understand that I did it for love," he finished, hugging Amy closer to himself.

"I understand," Amy sniffled, turning her gaze back to the TV. "Want me to turn it-"

Before Amy could finish her sentence, Sonic raised his hand, telling her with it to be quiet for a minute. Looking puzzled at the blue hedgehog, she realized he was paying attention to the screen again.

"And what do you think of all of this, Mr. Jacamar?" the raccoon addressed to a small, ginger colored dog. Mr. Jacamar was the mayor of the town, and what he said about Sonic had never seemed so important to the cobalt hedgehog.

The mayor shook his head, as if in defeat, and answered, rather slowly,

"I don't know what to think about Sonic anymore. I thought he was on our side, but after he's worked for Eggman until the doctor's death, it makes you wonder. He claims he did it for Amy, who is now his girlfriend in case some of you watching this didn't know, but I don't know. We haven't heard all the details of why he had to do this for Amy. For all we know, Amy's the real enemy."

With this remark Amy felt Sonic stiffen, and she gently reached for his hands, calming him down. No one could say it was Amy's fault; even if it was because of her he left.

"What would you have done, Mr. Mayor, sir," the raccoon continued, "If someone had been working for the enemy that was…normal, like myself for instance?"

"They would be in jail right about now," the mayor answered without much thought, but Sonic knew the mayor was right. If he wasn't famous, if the world didn't-or hadn't-loved him and looked up to him before, he would be treated as any other person.

"But, bear with me, sir," the raccoon continued. "But Sonic says he did it for Amy, because she would've been in danger otherwise."

"Aren't we all in danger?" the mayor speculated. "Why did that one girl get better treatment? Love does not make you turn your back on what's right."

At this, Sonic could stand no more. Being as calm as he could, he reached for the remote in Amy's hand, and pushed the off button. Neither of them needed to be hearing about Sonic making a wrong choice. The two sat in silence for a minute, both of them thinking their own separate thoughts, until Amy spoke.

"Did you do the right thing, Sonic?" she asked bravely, again looking into her boyfriend's eyes, but this time with tears flowing down her cheeks. "Should you have risked so much, for someone as pointless as me?"

"You're not pointless," Sonic replied, making it clear in his voice Amy was not to bring herself down. "They're not the ones in love with you."

Amy blushed as Sonic kissed her lightly on the forehead.

"You really feel that way, Sonic?" she questioned, even though she already knew his answer.

"My gosh, Amy," Sonic chuckled, hugging her again. "How many times do I have to tell you I love you until you get that stuck in your head?" Amy giggled.

"I don't think she's ever going to believe it," Tails answered, as he walked back into the living room, holding a glass of water. Smiling, he sat down near them on a green arm chair. Sonic didn't release his grip on Amy like he would've a year ago, making Amy's heart practically sing. "You're going to have to prove it to her about a million times. That's what you get for ignoring her up till last year." He smiled again, not meaning his last sentence to be cruel, and the two hedgehogs understood. Sonic did indeed have some catching up to do.

"Well," the navy hedgehog continued, "After having risked my life for the past six months," he looked down at his battle wounds given to him by the laser,  
"I would hope convincing you won't be as hard as it would've been otherwise."

Amy smiled gently at her boyfriend.

"I think you've made your point to last about-"

"A life time?" Sonic asked anxiously, and the three of them laughed.

"Well, I don't think our love will ever fail now," Amy admitted, gazing lovingly at her boyfriend. "Nothing can separate us."

"We'll be in love forever," Sonic finished, kissing her lightly on the nose. Amy's cheeks turned pink again, and she inched herself out of Sonic's arms, although reluctantly.

"So, Tails," she began. "How's the Tornado III coming along?"

Tails chuckled lightly as he realized Amy's embarrassment. She obviously wanted to change the subject. When Sonic wrapped his arms around her waist again, however, she didn't even flinch. Smiling, he began his speech about the plane that he already knew would bore them.

* * *

"I do not see a point in staying here, do you?" the robot asked, and he looked down from the walls of which he was staring at. "This place is not home. It never will be."

The robot's companion, a short and round grey robot nodded his head slowly.

"You are right, Decoe," he responded, turning to face the other. "With Eggman gone, and no work for us to do, we mise as well leave." He turned to look at the tunnel behind him. "Where's Bokkun?" he questioned.

"I do not know," Decoe replied. "He said he would come and leave with us. Maybe he thought we were not stating the truth."

"I am sure Bokkun wants to leave as much as we do," the grey robot replied, and he suddenly nodded at the sound of small padding feet coming from the other side of the tunnel. "See, what did I tell you, he's coming," the robot explained. He looked over towards the other side of the tunnel, where Bokkun was not coming and where an exit lay nearby, his brain circuits dreaming of a new freedom he had never known before. Bokkun panted up to the other two, hunched back as he gasped for breath.

"Sorry," he muttered. "I had a last minute errand to run before we left for good."

The other two robots looked at him curiously.

"Errand?" Becoe asked, cocking his head in confusion. "There is nothing to be done anymore. Eggman is dead."

For the first time in a week since Eggman had died, Bokkun grinned mischievously, a look of glee dancing in his eyes before it suddenly died out, going back to a look of emptiness.

"Eggman specifically told me," he started, "to run this errand for him. He told me on his death bed, when you two were supposed to be helping me care for him." The robot rolled his eyes in disgust. "But of course, you two were too busy sleeping to be of much use."

Decoe seemed about to respond, in not the kindest way no doubt, when Becoe cut him off by saying,

"And what kind of "errand" was this, Bokkun?"

"Hey," the robot snapped, moving ahead of the other two as he headed towards the exit. "If I and or Eggman wanted you to know, don't you think we would have told you?"

With this said, the robot jogged off, the thought of a real freedom pushing him and the others away from the only life they had ever known. As they passed room by room, they gazed up above them, noting the dimming light bulbs for the first time. When they reached the end of the tunnel, and prepared themselves to face the harsh world without a master by their side, Decoe was the one who turned off the lights. The underground base suddenly became very still, very quiet, and very dark. As the three headed up the deep whole, memories of their previous life played over and over again, and they couldn't help but get teary eyed. Their lives had changed so quickly. It would never be the same. Somehow, and they didn't know how, they'd have to survive in the world without anyone being on their side; without having anyone who knew they could be good at heart, if given the chance.

The sun gleamed into the elevator as it opened, and the three blinked rapidly at the sudden bright light. Trees and plants met their eyes, and the sound of a few random birds that had braved the harsh winter made them shiver. Slowly, Bokkun took his first step towards freedom, feeling the white powder beneath his feet crunch down into the ground with an eerie sound. He smiled for a second, wondering if this sudden feeling of being lifted from a huge burden was normal. Turning to the other two, he nodded vigorously at them, as if to say, 'Hurry up, you slow pokes. The snow is not going to bite.'

"Besides," he said out loud, as if he thought the other two robots had read his mind earlier, "This is freedom. And, this is an opportunity one could not give pass by."

* * *

So yeah, that's the first chapter of the new version of "Forever Love". As some of you already know, this story will be remarkably different then the old version, so if you liked the old, be prepared this new one doesn't follow the other nearly as closely as my last remake did. I'm not exactly sure what I plan to do with this story as of now, so it might be a few days before I have the next chapter written. Until then, I hope you enjoyed this chapter, and, Happy Holidays! Reviews like usual are appreciated.

~Ksonic~


	2. Unexpected Visitors

List:

sonic5521!

Lupus Silvae!

Rachel-1994!

GalexiatheChao!

Vulpus Griseus! (SonAmyfan221)

xxPR1NC3S5xx!

Whoo! Six reviews, and only in the first chapter! Thanks a bunch you guys! Makes a person happy. Anyway, onwards, march!

* * *

Chapter 2

Unexpected Visitors

Two years had passed since the blue blur had been discovered to be home. During this time, he and Amy spent most of their free time together, weather talking, shopping, or running at intense speed. Their love had grown to a maximum; nothing could bring it back down to where it had been. No longer was there sadness in their day.

At the present, there was only giggling and teasing between the two of them.

"I am never, mark my words, _never_," Sonic started, water dripping down his body, "Going 'swimming' in this lake again! Or any lake for that matter!" The cobalt hedgehog sighed to himself as he heard his girlfriend laugh. Slipping on the rather steep slope on the lake, the hedgehog let out a shriek as he fell back into the clear water, making Amy howl all the louder. "It ain't funny!" he barked, though his eyes twinkled mischievously. Amy raised an eyebrow, her giggling ceasing only for a moment.

"Then why'd you try to swim?" she questioned, though she already knew his answer.

"'Cause somehow, and I'll never know how either, you convinced me to try an' swim in this here lake!" He struggled back towards the slope, wishing Amy would help him out already.

"Oh, I don't know how I convinced you either," Amy teased. "Maybe I gave you that 'evil' puppy look?"

"Ha, it's evil all right," Sonic muttered, and with a grunt he managed to pull himself out of the water. His fur dripping with water, he looked up at the pink hedgehog next to him, who by this point had started laughing again. "You think this is funny?" he asked, mischief dancing in his jade eyes.

Amy looked up, and upon seeing the look he gave her let out a scream and raced away, hoping he wouldn't catch her. Sonic chuckled, giving her about ten seconds of a head start before he ran after her. An idea struck Amy, and she raced back towards the lake, and, without hesitation, jumped into the water. Sonic didn't notice where he was actually heading until suddenly he was covered in water all over again, and he let out a growl of rage. Slowly he began to sink, even as he struggled against the water, and he let out a sigh of relief within the water (making him start choking) when he felt Amy grab his hand and pull him back up to the surface. Sputtering water out of his mouth, he looked at Amy angrily, getting back only a giggle from her.

"See, if you would learn how to swim-" she started.

"Now wait just a second! You made me jump in here!"

"Well, if you had been watching where you were going…" She looked up, in a rather innocent way.

Sonic sighed.

"Ames," he whined, looking towards the dry land. "Can't you stop leading me to the water? Just 'cause we had a picnic here doesn't mean you have the right to drown me!"

"It's a free country, I have the right to do anything," Amy answered smugly, kissing the end of her boyfriend's nose.

"Except murder and robbery, and a _lot_ more too," Sonic corrected.

"The police would never know I killed you, though," Amy giggled, and she led Sonic by the hand to the shallow end of the lake. Sonic sighed, but when his feet touched the bottom of the lake he let go of Amy's hand, and pushed her under him with a quick movement of his hands. Amy let out a scream just before she found herself, once again, engulfed by water, and she could vaguely hear Sonic's laughter up above. Quickly, the blue hedgehog raced through the water to the edge of the pool, and managed to pull himself free of the deadly liquid just as Amy was about to pull him back in. He smirked at her as she slipped while getting up the slope, and, decided to be nice by helping her up. Once she was up, he pulled her close to him, hugging her.

Amy sighed contently at this, allowing herself to fall into his chest, no matter how wet the two hedgehogs had become. They stayed like this for a minute, enjoying each other's presence. Both-although not knowing it-were thinking about the other, and what it would be like without him/her.

The pink hedgehog giggled as she remembered the lake experience from just a few moments earlier, and Sonic smiled at her.

"Ready to go home, my princess?" he asked her, and Amy's face flushed.

"Do I have to?" she answered, snuggling back into him, making him chuckle.

"It's getting late," he observed. Pulling her head up, he pointed to the horizon. "See? The sun's starting to set."

Amy sighed. He was right, like usual.

"Well, let's at least stay a few more minutes," Amy suggested. "So we can watch the sunset. It is beautiful, you know."

"As are you." Sonic kissed the top of her head lovingly, as Amy blushed yet again. The two settled down onto the nearby grass, leaning against a rock for support as they watched the setting sun.

Brilliant colors lit the darkening sky, most of it being pink, purple and orange. Clouds ran into the colors, and they seemed to change colors themselves. The blue sky went well with the pink color. Amy smiled.

"It's just like us," she murmured. Sonic looked at her, puzzled.

"How so?" he questioned, as Amy snuggled closer to him.

"The pink goes with the blue."

Sonic smiled as well, and looked back at the sky. Within the few seconds Sonic hadn't been observing the sky, it had suddenly turned a deeper shade of blue, similar to Sonic's color. Stars made themselves known just as the sun said its final farewell to the world and settled behind the statuesque mountains. They twinkled, in a naïve kind of way, and the two hedgehogs smiled as a shooting star zoomed across the scene. Another meteor shot through the sky, and Amy pointed at it, squealing lightly.

"I forgot," she started. "The weather channel said there would be a meteor shower tonight."

Sonic nodded his head, remembering this fact for himself.

"Let's stay and watch, Sonic," Amy suggested, throwing in the puppy look for affect. "We wouldn't have to watch it for long. But, it is romantic, to watch a meteor shower, if you know what I mean. Especially when there are no lights around to ruin the night sky."

"I was hoping you'd ask," Sonic answered, grinning. He stood up, and Amy looked at him in a confused manner. Weren't they staying?

Winking at his girlfriend, Sonic zoomed off, down the hill. Amy glared down at the retreating blue line, and was about to yell about how she thought they were staying, when the azure hedgehog was suddenly back. He chuckled at Amy's miffed look, and pulled out two blankets from behind his back.

"If we're gonna stay for a while, we mise as well be warm," Sonic explained, as he laid the blankets down side by side. Amy smiled at him, her anger towards him immediately subsiding. The two again sat back on the ground, each getting in a comfortable position as Amy snuggled close to the warmth of her blanket and _her_ hedgehog.

"Ames, look at that one." Sonic pointed up into the sky, his finger following the silver trail of a fast moving meteor. His eyes seemed to dance as he watched the large rock travel away from them. "I wonder what it would be like to be one…"

"One what?" Amy questioned, her gaze still upon the evening sky.

"A meteor," Sonic stated bluntly.

"But, they're not alive," Amy chuckled, glancing back at Sonic for a second.

"Yeah, but if they were," Sonic mused, his face seeming to look far off into the distance. "Imagine the speed they must be going at! Just think, they getta go around the universe a million times, and the only thing to break them down is stuff they run into! Every where they go, another thing to see, another star or planet or moon…"

"We already saw the universe for ourselves with the Metorex, remember?" Amy replied. "But, I guess you have a point. They do travel faster then the Blue Typhoon did."

"My point exactly."

Amy chuckled to herself before looking back towards the shower. By this point, the meteors were coming down even faster, and sometimes ten of them could be seen at once. The sun was, by now, completely gone, leaving the sky a deep blue, and no clouds destroyed the affect of the night. The two hedgehogs watched the display for about an hour, never getting bored of it. The only reason they left in the first place, was that the pink hedgehog had just fallen asleep in Sonic's arms. It had been a long day. Not a bad day; just a long day.

Reluctantly, Sonic shifted his weight as he stood, making sure to not wake Amy. He glanced back at the sky for a second, before he picked up Amy and the two blankets. Being careful not to drop anything or _anyone_, Sonic took off with the wind. He was rather surprised when his girlfriend didn't wake up to the sound of the rushing wind, but, then again, she had been on many runs with him before. Maybe a run was something soothing to her, like rocking a baby before it fell asleep. He smiled at this thought, and he picked up his pace a bit. The warm wind brushed against his cobalt fur, and he sighed contently. What more could he want? He had Amy, and a run, all at once. He had wind rushing past him, stars twinkling above him, zooming comets as competition for his legs…

It was all…perfect. A perfect masterpiece.

The trip was shorter then Sonic would've wanted. Only a minute of this peace lasted before Sonic reached Amy's doorstep, and he looked down at her face, smiling to himself as he noted her calm look. She was so cute when she slept. So beautiful.

An image of her, from two and a half years ago found its way into Sonic's brain, and he winced. It was from the night when Sonic had dropped off the blue prints for the ultimate weapon, and the perfect rose. It was from the night when Sonic had stared into Amy's unorganized room and could only focus on her face; her face which showed pain, and sadness. He breathed in sharply, trying to get the image out of his head, and bring in the new one. The one that he was seeing now. She wasn't being separated from him anymore.

She never would be either.

"Excuse me?"

The hedgehog jumped, not expecting to hear someone else's voice at such a time. The azure hedgehog turned from Amy's house, to the sound of the voice, to see a small, young hedgehog girl. Blinking, he was about to ask the girl what she was doing here when she should be home, when he noticed someone else behind the little girl. Looking up, he again blinked as his eyes met the face of a mid-aged pink hedgehog. She didn't make eye contact with Sonic, but, instead seemed to look down at the roseate hedgehog in his arms. She smiled briefly at Amy, and then at Sonic, before she spoke.

"My name is Barbara Rose. I do believe I am the mother of the hedgehog you are holding." She smiled warmly at Sonic, and Sonic stared back at her, although, not smiling. The cobalt hedgehog raised an eyebrow, trying not to laugh.

"Your proof?" he questioned, as he gently nudged Amy, trying to wake her.

The child below the woman's feet spoke then.

"Why would you need proof? Isn't our honesty enough?"

'_Oh, to be young and naïve again,'_ Sonic thought to himself, chuckling slightly.

"I can give you proof," the woman answered. "But, Amy's going to need to be awake, now isn't she? Why is she asleep anyway? She should know better than to make herself so venerable."

"Ames and I have been friends for years," the blue hedgehog answered, forcing himself not to become defensive. "We've been dating for over two years. I saved her from death. I don't lust her." He paused as he opened the door to the small house. "I think she can trust me by now."

With those word said, Sonic was about to bid the lady and the child goodnight, but the lady wasn't done.

"Do you not allow people to show you proof when they have it?" She looked at him with an intense look of sadness. A look full of begging.

Sonic sighed, and he allowed the two in, although reluctantly. Turning on the nearby light, he warily watched the two visitors as he gently set Amy down on the living room couch, and woke her up.

"Hmm, what's going on?" she asked, and Sonic shushed her as he helped her sit up.

"There's a lady and a kid in the house right now, and the older one's claiming to be your mother. I'm guessing the younger one's the daughter of the other, and she's about ten or so."

"Why'd you let them in?" Amy sighed. "You know people always claim to be our parents."

"The lady was kind of…persuasive," Sonic whispered back, hoping the two visitors couldn't hear their conversation.

"Aren't they all?" Amy rolled her eyes, and she stood up, yawning as she did so. "What time is it?"

"About eight."

"They could've gotten here a bit earlier, don't you think?" Sonic only shrugged.

Again, Amy sighed, and she walked out of the living room, followed closely by Sonic. The lady looked up from the child she was talking to, and smiled at Amy. Tears began swimming in the visitor's eyes, and, Amy said,

"It would seem you have a mistake. I don't know where my mother is right now."

"But, Amy, dear," the lady started, sniffling. "Don't you recognize me? I'm your mother." Amy stared back at the woman, a bored look on her face. "I suppose my looks have changed some," the lady continued, chuckling softly to herself. "Let's start from the beginning, shall we?"

Amy nodded curtly towards the living room. Having had a few conversations like this with other people who claimed to be her mother or father, she wasn't too optimistic about any of this.

And, neither was Sonic, for that matter.

* * *

And, well, this just seemed like a good place to stop. Sorry that it took a while to update; I just can't seem to be able to think as clearly right now. That's my excuse too if this chapter seemed a little... I don't know how to describe it. But I don't think it's one of my better chapters lol. Hope you enjoyed this chapter, and reviews are deeply appreciated!

~Ksonic~


	3. Finding Loved Ones

List:

Rachel-1994!

Vulpus Griseus!

Midnight Falls!

GalexiatheChao!

xxPR1NC3S5xx!

Lupus Silvae!

sonic5521!

Aztecka!

Thank you all so much for all your support! I'm really surprised to have so many reviews for only two chapters! It makes my day. Thanks again, peeps! Anyway, onwards, march!

* * *

Chapter 3

Finding Loved Ones

"I know you probably don't believe my statement about me being your mother. I don't blame you; I'm sure people claim to be part of your family all the time." The women looked down at her watch, sighing to herself before continuing. "And I'm sure, my timing wasn't the best. But, we just got into town a few hours ago, and I couldn't wait to get back in contact with you. It's been about ten years, at least, Amy. So much has changed for the both of us."

Amy sighed mentally to herself, as she shifted her weight on the couch she was sitting on. She hated speeches like these. They were all just lies; lies she never did enjoy listening to. She leaned back into the beryl colored couch, trying to make herself comfortable for the long talk ahead.

"Alright, surprise me," she started, looking at Sonic for support before she continued. He nodded at her. "Let's start with the easy parts. What's my father's name?"

The women seemed about to answer, but suddenly hesitated. Amy smiled weakly to herself. This lady had been easy to knock down the list. Step two, however would be harder. Getting her _out_ of the house.

"His name was Oliver Benson Rose," the lady perked up, seeming proud of herself. Another sure sign that she had to be lying.

"Hmm, not bad, you know his middle name," Amy remarked, although she wasn't too surprised. She could've just looked it up on the internet. Another problem with being so famous, when you didn't want to be. "What base number was he in when he was called out to war? And about how many letters did he send home before they suddenly stopped coming?"

At this, Sonic's head snapped to Amy's face, a look of disbelief clearly written on his face. It was obvious he thought asking someone how many letters their supposable husband sent home from war was too much. Amy only gave him a knowing look, before turning back to the lady and the girl.

"His base number was 347. He sent home around fifteen letters before they ceased." The woman took a deep breath, as if admitting this detail had been a courageous thing to say. Amy, at first looked at the woman with surprise. How did someone who wasn't her mother _know_ such a thing? It was something only she and her mother had known. This was because, when the letters stopped coming, Amy's mother feared the worst, and she didn't want to scare her husband's parents by saying he might have been killed in battle.

Then again, fifteen letters could've just been a random thought. With this thought, Amy took her own deep breath, and continued questioning the woman.

"How old was I when I brought home that bird from out in the woods?" Sonic cocked an eyebrow at this, and Amy gave him another knowing look, as if to say, 'Well, my real mother would know the answer. May as well get personal.'

"You were five years old, almost six," the fuchsia hedgehog replied, and she chuckled slightly to herself. "You had been out in the woods, doing who knows what." She smiled at Amy, who looked at the woman in disbelief. This was starting to get personal. Only her family knew these things. "I was inside, cooking your father's favorite dessert of blueberry pie, when suddenly, you came rushing into the room, tears streaking down your face." As if to prove her point, the lady suddenly had tears streaking down her own face. She hastily wiped at the bothersome droplets of water, sniffling quietly before she continued. "When I asked you what was wrong you showed me a small baby bird in the palms of your hands… I stopped working on the pie, and immediately the two of us set to work to make a comfortable bed for the bird out of dried up leaves from outside and a worn-down box. You went digging for worms, trying to find food for the baby." She gave Amy a knowing look, shaking her head from side to side as she laughed. "Your dress was such a mess when you came back in an hour later, complaining that 'all the worms had dug deeper into their holes and that not even our dog could dig them up'." She laughed again, fresh tears still running down her cheeks. She didn't bother to try and remove them.

Amy looked at the woman in front of her for a second, at first, bewildered. She didn't even remember all of those details, but, no doubt, she knew they were true. Sonic looked back and forth from Amy and the other pink hedgehog, confusion written on his face as he watched a single tear slip out of Amy's up till then guarded eyes.

"I've never heard that story before," he announced, but Amy didn't hear him. She gripped the edges of the couch uneasily, her eyes open wide. Her mother was alive, and in this very room. It had to be her.

"Your father let you keep that bird," the women whispered, getting up from her seat. Cautiously, she walked up to Amy, gently setting her worn hands down on the girl's shoulders. "You have to believe me."

Amy looked up at the woman, meeting her eyes for the first time.

No one outside of the family had known that story. No friends had ever dropped by at the house during that bird's life. If this wasn't her mother, it had to be someone _very_ close to the family.

And why would someone close to the family lie about being her mother? Why not say who they really had been?

Slowly, without words, Amy pushed herself off of her seat, staring at the woman before her the entire time. Before she knew what she was doing, a cry of happiness escaped her throat, and the tears came rushing down as she hugged her mother tightly, wishing to never be separated from her again. Sonic and the child of the woman glanced at one another, before they both broke out in a smile. The two looked at each other for a minute, each pondering what it would mean now that the Amy had found her mother, and the mother, her child. At the same time, as if it had been planned, the two let their gazes fall back onto the two, equal in color hedgehogs, their grins, if possible, widening at the sight of them.

To loose family is hard on its own. To find family, many, many years later is another thing in its own.

* * *

It didn't matter how late it had become. From eight to about midnight, Amy and her mother cried, laughed, and reflected on each other's life, for the first time in more then ten years, _together_. Sonic and the child, whose name turned out to be Jamie, said very little out loud, but looks were exchanged from them all. One of the more pointless conversations was about Amy's favorite stuffed animal as a kid.

"Do you still have Bongo?" Barbara asked, her eyes twinkling mischievously.

"Bongo?" Sonic piped up, eager to tease his girlfriend. "Do tell. I've never heard of this 'Bongo.'"

Amy blushed, throwing her mother a look before chuckling softly.

"Bongo?" she cleared her throat, trying to come up with words, and fast, for her speedy lover was getting impatient. "Oh, yeah. Bongo. Uh, well, yeah, I do still have him, mother."

"Who's Bongo?" Sonic again asked, and Amy tried to ignore him by moving on to another topic.

"So, how's Dad doing?"

"Who's Bongo?!"

"Sonic, try and be mature, for a minute!" Amy snapped, before turning back to her mother. "So, anyway, how is Dad anyway? I see he gave me a little sister." She turned to look at the girl sitting on the opposite side of the room, and the child smiled, but only slightly. Barbara's earlier smile faded at hearing the word "Dad", and she sighed sadly. Amy noticed this herself, and her smile too disappeared.

The room was silent for a moment, the only sound being the distant clock as it ticked, second by second, minute by minute. The wind outside of the small home picked up its intensity, rustling the tree's leaves gently. A meteor shot across the sky, as if to show hope, and as it passed the planet, Amy's mother found her voice again.

"We were right Amy. We were right in thinking he was gone when the letters stopped coming." She paused for a second, looking at her child, Jamie. "Jamie's not...your full sister. She's your half sister. I remarried."

Amy, too stunned for words, blinked away unwanted tears, and gazed up at her mother, her expression of complete depression. Sonic had rarely seen this look before, her always being happy, but none-the-less he got up from his seat across the room, and sat down besides her, pulling her close as she let the tears fall. She whimpered as she allowed his comfort, and Barbara stared at the couple sadly, before, she too, walked towards her long lost daughter, and hugged her. Jamie, not wanting to feel left out, soon followed the other's examples.

"B-but, I loved D-daddy," Amy murmured, shaking a bit uncontrollably in Sonic's strong arms. It couldn't be true. Her father couldn't die. Not without saying goodbye.

The three of them said nothing, Sonic only occasionally whispering things like "it's okay," into her ears. Eventually, Jamie headed back to her own seat, feeling it awkward to have three people hugging one person at once. Barbara stayed on the couch, but allowed Sonic to counsel Amy until her tears lessened. Then she spoke.

"I found out about a week after you left home," she explained, in a soothing voice. "By then he'd been dead about a month. No one had the time to tell us before then." A flash of anger crossed her eyes, for she felt strongly that the army should had made it their priority to tell family members once a loved one had died. "I cried for a long time, Amy. I cried for years and years. I didn't have him anymore, or, you for that matter. That's why I hesitated when you asked who your father was. He's gone; I didn't know if I should bring it up so soon…"

Amy sniffled, and pulled herself into a sitting position while Sonic rubbed her back in a loving way. She had more to ask her mother. Now was not the time for crying.

"So…what's my _new_ f-father like?" she questioned, taking a deep breath afterwards.

Barbara smiled slightly before answering.

"Well, he's red in color, is tall and handsome…he looks, much like your father. But he's not the same. Your father was one who worked as a biologist, as I'm sure you remember. Howard's a businessman."

"Where is he?" Amy asked.

At this her mother hesitated. But only for a second.

"He's at work, honey. He couldn't ask for time off to come and meet you."

Amy resisted rolling her eyes. Ever since she had been a little girl, there had always been something about businessmen that she hated. Was it the little time they had with their family? It probably was. Therefore, this 'Howard' didn't sound too much better.

She took a deep breath once again, trying to calm herself. She didn't know Howard. Maybe he was often home, but he just couldn't make it this time. She had no clue.

"When can I meet him?"

"When ever you're ready."

"Can Sonic come with us?"

Again, her mother hesitated. It wasn't that she didn't enjoy having Sonic in their company; really she didn't mind. Howard was another question entirely, however. None-the-less, she looked Amy in the eyes, in a series way, and answered,

"Sure, of course he can. Just…be careful with how much Sonic's name is brought up." With this said she looked at the blue hedgehog still sitting besides Amy. "Howard may be my husband, but we don't agree with everything. He's one of those…people out there right now that's…weary, of Sonic."

A look passed between the hero and mother. It was as if a secret message had been passed, and just between the two of them. Sonic understood. A lot of people were weary of him, even after two years. He frowned slightly, wondering what this could bring between him, Amy, and her family. If Howard wasn't one to look up to Amy's boyfriend, who knew what he could do to tear the family apart.

He squeezed Amy closer to himself, of which she had no problem with. Nodding his head, his eyes told Barbara he understood.

And the conversation ended.

* * *

Well, the chapter, as well as the conversation has ended. I really hope you enjoyed the chapter as much as I did writing it. I'm going back to "life" tomorrow, so my updates might be a little less frequent then they have been. But, knowing me, I'll still be writing just as much as I possibly can. Let's hope writer's block doesn't get in the way like it is with my other stories that are up right now…Anyway, thanks for reading, and reviews are appreciated!

~Ksonic~


	4. The Mind of the Red Hedgehog

List:

GalexiatheChao!

Lupus Silvae!

Midnight Falls!

Vulpus Griseus!

sonic5521!

Rachel-1994!

Thanks for the reviews guys! Glad you're enjoying the story so much. Anyway, onwards, march!

* * *

Chapter 4

The Mind of the Red Hedgehog

It was early in the evening when a traditional sonic boom could suddenly be heard throughout the vast valleys of the land. Some people who heard the boom shook their heads in annoyance, wishing the speedy blue hedgehog to disappear down a deep, black hole and never return. Others, smiled warmly as the sound met their ears, thinking to themselves how wonderful it was to constantly hear the sound once more. It showed that their _hero_ was back, even though they knew he'd already been back for two years.

A squeal of delight came from Amy's mouth as she experienced the boom herself, for she was being held by none other than Sonic the Hedgehog. A deep smile spread across her face as she watched the wind speed past them, as if trying to get out of their way. Sonic smiled down at his girlfriend for a second, before he looked back up and swerved to avoid an annoying tree that had gotten in his way. This only made Amy laugh harder.

The two of them were making their way to Amy's family's home. There, they planned to meet Howard, Amy's step-dad for the very first time. They planned to be there for a few hours, getting to know the business man while they ate supper with the whole family. Both knew that this could be easier said then done, since it sounded like Howard was one of those hedgehogs who looked down upon Sonic.

Sonic seemed a lot more concerned about this than Amy. What if they were separated, just because the father hated the blue hedgehog for 'going against the world'? What if the two would never be able to see eye to eye? What if there was some big argument? Even a glare from him to Sonic would give Sonic the chills. This was Amy's family, they had to like Sonic. If they didn't, how was he to someday marry the love of his life?

Amy seemed to sense that something was bugging the blue hedgehog, and she looked up from the wind at his face, which didn't seem to show emotion. It seemed to her, that he looked this way a lot more than he used to. Was it because of the torture Eggman had afflicted on him? Probably, she had concluded. Because of his pain, he saw less of a reason for people to be able to see through him. He didn't like people being able to read his mind. He had become a hedgehog that worried more, and all because of what had taken place two years earlier.

But Amy had always been good at seeing through him, no matter what the hedgehog did.

"What's up?" she asked, above the sound of the wind. Sonic, startled, looked down at Amy, a confused look on his face.

"Nothing, just thinking," was his answer, and the two became silent again. Amy could see he wasn't in the mood to answer, so she let it be.

The two reached the house a few minutes later, and the two observed it with an eye of a scientist. It looked like a good enough town-house from the outside. Flowers surrounded the small little one-story building, a few pots of lilies in the clean windowsills. A swing was connected to the nearby oak tree, and a white-chipped fence boarded the house from the other homes. Unlike Sonic and Amy's own living arrangements, Amy's family lived in the city, so there were no meadows nearby.

Sonic had never been one to like the city. It was always crowded and rude people always honked at him when he'd cut in front of them. The only good thing about the city, he had concluded, was the many chili dog stands. That was all. There were no flowers or mountains or trees or lakes or…anything remotely pretty.

But that didn't mean the family was bad. Of what Sonic had seen already, Amy's mother and step-sister seemed fine, no matter if they lived in the city. Howard, was just going to have to prove his family, a good family. If he wasn't good…well, then Sonic wouldn't like their situation any longer.

Amy smiled brightly as Sonic set her down on her feet, and she rushed up to the house, without a second look behind her. Sonic followed behind her, his body already tense. Quickly, Amy pressed down the doorbell, and she chuckled when she heard her sister squeal,

"They're here! They're here!"

The rose hedgehog turned to Sonic then, smiling up at him as she took his hand.

"Stop worrying," she whispered, kissing his cheek lovingly. "Everything's going to be fine." Sonic took a deep breath, allowing himself to calm down. Just because Howard didn't like him, didn't mean they couldn't change that fact.

Steps could be heard as someone approached the brown door, and in an instant it was opened by a red hedgehog. The hedgehog smiled warmly down at Amy, but when his eyes reached Sonic's, his smile looked strained. His yellow eyes appeared cold and heartless, ands they scanned the blue hedgehog in a judging sort of way. Sonic no longer felt calm, and he stared back at the hedgehog with questions forming in his eyes.

But the look between the two of them quickly appeared to vanish, and the next second, it was if the two hedgehogs had always been friends. The scarlet hedgehog assured them in with a quite voice, his gaze back on his step-daughter. With the sound of the closed door, Jamie ran up to the couple, squeezing her sister happily.

"Amy, you're here!" she cried, and Amy laughed as she hugged her sister back.

"I said I would be, Jamie," she answered. She looked up at Howard then, who seemed to be trying to take in everything about his daughter now. He noted her appearance first, and was glad that she didn't look like a slut at all. She dressed appropriately. He checked that off his mental list to have to _fix_ with her. She looked like a kind enough women, nothing to _fix_ there either. If there was one thing he knew he must at least deal with partially, it was her choice of men. Sonic couldn't even be considered a man.

With this conclusion, the red hedgehog stuck out his hand to his daughter, a bit nervously. He didn't know what she would think of him. His wife had already told him she never really did look up to business men. Maybe he could be different for her.

"I'm Howard," he started, and Amy nervously put her hand in his own. The two stared at each other for a minute, their hands automatically moving up and down. "I assume you're my daughter."

Amy nodded her head slowly, smiling at the man before her politely.

"Nice to meet you," she replied, before she turned to Sonic. "Dad," she almost winced at saying the name, "This is my boyfriend, Sonic. He's all I could ever ask for, and want." The pink hedgehog smiled warmly at the blue hedgehog, who smiled sheepishly back. "And Sonic, this is my _father_."

The two men looked at each other again. A look in both of their eyes showed the reluctance as they shook hands, but they smiled like they didn't mind meeting each other. Amy could still see through Sonic, and she gave him a look as the hand shake ended. Sonic rolled his eyes, and he turned his gaze back to the red hedgehog. The look of anger in his eyes immediately changed to a look of curiousness, and this suited Amy well enough. At least her boyfriend wasn't pushing his luck any further.

Barbara soon entered the room, and the previous awkward feelings disappeared.

"Just on time, you two," she announced. "It's time to eat." She smiled as Sonic grinned at the mention of food, and he eagerly followed behind Amy who followed behind Jamie. The young child chattered to the visitors, pausing only when the five of them were seated comfortably at the table. Grace was said, and then she was talking again.

"Okay, so, Amy, you know my friend Sarah?" she started, as she stuffed a piece of bread into her mouth.

"No, I don't know anything about your friend Sarah, actually," Amy answered. "In fact, I hardly know anything about you! Why don't you start with your…birthday," Amy finished, smiling gently down at her little sister.

"Oh, that's easy," the child answered, as she swallowed the bread with a quick gulp. "February 18th."

Throughout the meal, Sonic and Howard were the two that said the least. Sonic, not being a part of the family sat quietly on the sidelines, complimenting Barbara's cooking when he felt the need to. He listened to the conversations as well as he could, and threw in a word or two when he thought it right. Howard did mainly the same thing as the blue hedgehog did, only, he didn't have much of an excuse to not talk. Sure, he didn't know his step-daughter like his wife did, and sure, he didn't have the talkative nature as young Jamie and Sonic had, but he still cut it short with his amount of words.

He knew this fact himself. But, his excuse, was that he was watching Sonic.

He had thought the hedgehog wonderful and a hero like everyone else had only three years ago. He had thought the hedgehog someone who would never cheat his way into being famous. Sure, there was the time when he and his friends talked about things called "humans", but, in Howard's mind, this could potentially be true. He still trusted the hedgehog at that point.

When the hedgehog disappeared for six months, he was curious like everyone else, but he gave little thought to it. He had a family to raise and nurture, and he had his job to worry about. Eggman hadn't attacked for a while anyway, so why worry?

The rest was all history. He knew what the cobalt hedgehog claimed to have done when he vanished for six months; everyone knew. But when the public realized it had all been done for one girl, and had not been thought through enough for their own safety, that's when things began to change. He could recall the endless nights when he and his wife would bicker about Sonic's loyalty to the world. She had never been one to loose faith in others, like he. He had always admired her in that regard. How she was able to trust was just remarkable compared to his trust. Some people would just say he analyzed too much.

He liked to refer to it as being careful, and cautious.

"You never know," he would always tell his daughter, when she came home from school, talking about a boy. "He could end up turning on you."

So, with these thoughts in mind, the red hedgehog continued observing the blue hedgehog in front of him. Knowing his wife had complete trust in the hedgehog, and, knowing his step-daughter was deeply in love with him, he didn't want to make either of the ladies turn on him. That was not his goal. His goal was to watch, and take in what Sonic was like, and, if needed, do something about his daughter's relationship with him.

But, hopefully it wouldn't have to go that far.

At this thought, Howard laughed quietly to himself. He knew that wouldn't happen. Already he could see in the blue hedgehog not only loyalty problems, but cockiness and ignorance _issues_. The _hero_ was stubborn; it could be heard in his voice. If Amy hadn't caught the blue hedgehog already, he'd be a player. That too, seemed easy enough to pick up. If Sonic hadn't shared the same faith as Amy and her family had, the red hedgehog would've kicked him out long ago.

None-the-less, Howard tried to give the young male a fighting chance with his daughter. He listened to what Amy had to say about her boyfriend, and how he had saved her thousands of times from near death. Howard had to say, he was rather impressed with her detailed stories, and he had a feeling they were true, if only a little exaggerated.

When the story of Sonic's bold sacrifice from two and a half years ago came up, Howard's heart suddenly stopped listening to all the good things about Sonic, and he tuned out what Amy had to say about his care. The little part of him that said maybe Sonic was an okay boy for his daughter suddenly was roughly pushed out of his mind, and his soul became stone cold.

It had become clear to Howard. Sonic would go, and he would be out of their lives by the end of that night.

By the time he had made this conclusion in his mind, the five of them were sitting in the living room, comfortably playing a game of "catch up". It was around eight at night, and Howard knew the couple would be leaving soon. If he was to stop everything between his daughter and Sonic, he was going to have to think up a plan. First off, he wanted Jamie out of the room. He didn't want her around to stand up for Sonic, for she didn't know what she'd be getting herself into. She was too young to understand the politics, as he would say.

Another factor that he knew would have to be played in to all this, was how to _make_ Amy stay away from the cocky hedgehog. She was technically an adult, and he knew, being a full-blown business man, that she could sue him if it got down to it. He didn't know his daughter well enough, and he wasn't on her good side yet, to be able to convince her to turn from her boyfriend. He would have to be sly and tricky about the whole thing. Maybe he could convince Barbara who could convince Amy. But then again, mother and daughter hardly knew each other anymore. And besides, Sonic had to be gone tonight, not in a few days.

Suddenly, Howard realized just how much effort it really would turn out to be, if he was to separate the young lovers. He smiled smugly to himself as he began formulating a plan in his brain, a plan only a true business man could ever come up with.

"So, Sonic," he began, trying to sound casual. The blue hedgehog tensed at the sound of his name being spoken by Howard, but he turned to him, smiling slightly, pretending he didn't care.

"Yeah?" he questioned.

"Now that Eggman's gone what do you do with your time?"

"Oh, this and that," the hedgehog answered, a smirk starting to form on his lips. This didn't please Howard. "Usually I hang with your daughter." He pulled Amy closer to him. What would've looked like a casual arm around her, was not that, and Amy could tell by his firm grip on her shoulder. He was nervous, and she knew it.

"But, she's bound to be busy every now and again, wouldn't she?" Howard continued, a twinkle forming in his cold eyes.

"Yeah, that's when I run," the hedgehog explained, and with that said he looked towards the door. He almost declared him and Amy leaving, but the look on his girlfriend's face made him think otherwise.

"Let's take a walk, Sonic," Howard suggested suddenly, and by the tone of his voice it actually sounded like a friendly proposition. Barbara looked at her husband warily, wondering what he was up to. She was not about to ask, however. Sonic's arm around Amy again felt like he was being overly-protective, but only for a second before he got up, hardly holding in a smirk.

"You lead," the hedgehog said, and together the two men left the room without another word.

* * *

Well, I wanted a longer chapter (it's amazing how my expectations with myself have suddenly raised) but, I thought this would be a good place to stop. Hopefully, you peeps learned more about Howard than in the last version. I didn't want to make him look as evil, for, he's just being protective. Anyway, sorry it took a while to update. My excuse is the same as usual; writer's block, and not as much time to write as I would've liked. Reviews are appreciated!

~Ksonic~


	5. To Fear

List:

Vulpus Griseus!

GalexiatheChao!

Lupus Silvae!

xxPR1NC3S5xx!

Rachel-1994!

Midnight Falls!

Thanks a bunch, you guys! And guess what? I updated even faster, thanks to you peeps! Yes, this time, I didn't have writer's block; it basically all just came. So anyway, onwards, march!

* * *

Chapter 5

To Fear

Rain was coming. The blue hedgehog could sense it as he followed Amy's step-father out the door of the small town home. He shivered at the thought of getting wet; being careful not to let on that he'd rather not talk to Howard. If the red hedgehog knew he was nervous, it could become worse than it already was.

Which, Sonic didn't want that.

The two walked in silence for a minute, getting further and further away from the house they had just left. Thunder rolled in the distance, and the two hedgehogs looked up at the sky momentarily. Truth be told, Howard really didn't _have_ a plan, except that Sonic had to leave tonight. What he was going to say or do to get his way, he was still trying to figure out. Making Sonic get out of the house seemed to have been a good idea when it popped into his mind, but now, he started to think he should've had a plan first. This was Sonic the Hedgehog he was walking with; the hedgehog that was mostly famous for his speed and for destroying robots. No, scratch that. _Killing_ robots. After Sonic would attack the piece of metal, sometimes it was nothing but pieces of junk spread across the floor. There was no way to make a robot out of the pieces. That wasn't destroying, that, in Howard's mind, was killing.

The red hedgehog suddenly began to wonder if Sonic was so stuck up that he might attack him. If Howard made a wrong move, the hedgehog could easily _kill_ him. The blue hedgehog had the strength, and Howard knew it.

Even with these thoughts in mind, he kept walking, glad to know that Sonic didn't appear to be getting upset. The two continued walking for a few more, quiet moments, until, suddenly, the blue hedgehog spoke.

"Ya got a nice place," he said, trying to say a compliment. Howard grunted, not turning to face the hedgehog. Sonic let out a small sigh, and picked up his pace to walk in sync with the older hedgehog. The two stared at each other warily for a second, neither noticing that they had stopped walking. A flash of lightening crossed the darkening sky, followed soon by another clap of thunder. "What did you wanna talk to me about anyway, Howard?" Sonic questioned, frowning at the man. "I don't see a point in walkin' if we're not gonna say anything."

The red hedgehog stayed quiet, trying to come up with words. He had to say just the right thing to make the hedgehog leave. If he did, it would all be over, and he would keep his daughter.

"Why are you dating Amy?" he asked. He tried not to let it show that he was clueless in what to ask. This had been the first thing to pop into his mind, and because of this, he was going to say it. What else was he to say? Get off of my land?

Sonic could only chuckle, however. At first, this alarmed Howard. Had he asked a stupid question?

"You don't know you're daughter yet, but, if you did, you'd see why someone would wanna date her," Sonic answered. A smiled spread across his muzzle, and not a smirk. Howard raised an eyebrow, singling to Sonic to continue. "She's everything a guy could want. She has the looks, the personality…I mean, sure she has a short temper, but that just makes it better. It gives people like me who need adventure, something to look forward to. Not that I like arguing with her or anythin'. It's just, she keeps me going, no matter what."

This is not the answer Howard had wanted. This confession of love was not going to make him separate the two lovers, and Howard knew it. So, he quickly came up with another question.

"Well, is that any reason to go against the world?"

The question hit a nerve, and Howard could tell. He didn't know if this was good or bad, considering he was still concerned that Sonic could hurt him. But Sonic seemed to recover from the question quickly, and Howard was surprised when he didn't snap at him.

"I didn't go against the world," he started. "I was saving her life. You would've done the exact thing if it had been Barbara."

"No, I could've saved her without turning from the world," Howard snapped. "I could've told the police, but you were ashamed to have to go for help, weren't you?"

"I didn't have a choice; I couldn't go to the police," Sonic answered, calmly. He clenched his fists for a second, upset that Howard thought he had been ashamed to ask for help.

"And why not?"

"Because Eggman was watching my every move."

"Ha! Like you couldn't have moved at the speed of sound and done something else," Howard shot back, anger coursing through him.

Sonic seemed about to retort, when he stopped and looked down for a second. At first, Howard thought he had finally caught the hedgehog. Finally, the famous blue hedgehog would admit his mistake! A smug grin formed on his face, and he would've chuckled if Sonic didn't look back up and say,

"Eggman was too smart for me that time. I couldn't get away. You could say he beat me."

Howard laughed, sounding not at all ashamed.

"That's what you get," he explained, turning to the hedgehog. "I thought you were smart, _hedgehog_. I thought you only kept those that were important out of danger. You're more dangerous then we all anticipated. If you had thought through it more-"

"You have no idea what I went through, just for the safety of your own daughter!" Sonic snapped. The once calm blue hedgehog couldn't take much more of this. "I went through death itself just to make sure she'd still be breathing the next day. And I worried for the world too. I spent nights without any sleep, trying to come up with a way to save both sides. I am _not_ dangerous."

The two men stared at each other, a glare on both of their faces. Howard panted angrily, even though he hadn't been the one to make the speech, and he tried to make Sonic back down. He wanted to get the other to _fear_ him. Howard hardly noted the anger in Sonic, however, and for once during the walk he wasn't afraid of the cobalt hedgehog himself. Maybe he should've been, maybe he didn't need to be afraid. But Sonic didn't attack him anyway. Instead, the blue hedgehog broke the gaze first, and stared back towards the house they had come from.

"Amy and I will be going now," he stated, and he began walking back towards the house.

"Amy is _not _going back with someone as immature as you," Howard explained, cutting in front of Sonic. The blue hedgehog frowned, resisting the urge to tap his impatient foot.

"We're adults. You can't control us," was the hedgehog's answer, and he moved past the seething red hedgehog.

"She's my daughter, not yours!"

At this, Sonic turned back to him, his eyes showing disgust as he said,

"You aren't her father. Her father is dead."

By this point, the two furious hedgehogs had reached the house again. Amy and Barbara, having been attracted by Howard's yelling, watched in horror as the two argued their way back towards the front steps.

"Come on, Amy, let's get going," Sonic practically demanded. He extended his arm to her, hoping with all hope she'd take his hand. She blinked, and looked up at him sadly.

"Sonic, what's going on?" she asked. Shame was written all over her face. She had been hoping Sonic would be able to control himself on the rather short walk. This look never ceased to make Sonic realize what he had done wrong, even before he had fallen for Amy. His ears went down in an instant. All but he and Amy thought he was just upset that she wasn't taking his hand. But that was only part of it.

Sighing, Sonic turned to face Howard. His eyes still shone with hatred for the elder, but, his voice didn't have the edge to it as it had only a minute ago.

"Listen, Howard, maybe we can work this out. If ya need to interview me all night, go right ahead."

The red hedgehog would not take for bargaining, especially now. It didn't matter if Sonic had seen that he shouldn't have spoken to him in such a manner. It didn't matter that it was more his fault then Sonic's. The hedgehog was going to leave, and without Amy. Now.

But Amy wouldn't let this happen if she had anything to do with it. Seeing Sonic's outstretched hand still in front of her, she gingerly took it.

"Please, Howard, hear them out," Barbara pleaded, but it was too late to turn back now. Howard hadn't been pleased with Sonic from the beginning. The only thing that would make him change his mind, was if they could all go back in time, and Sonic hadn't turned against the world.

Then, maybe he'd consider it.

"Get off of my land."

Only a few minutes ago, Howard wouldn't have demanded such a thing, for he had feared the blue hedgehog. But now the man could see that in Sonic's eyes was a look that showed he feared the scarlet hedgehog. Why the most powerful and famous hedgehog suddenly feared the weakest, Howard didn't know, and right now, he didn't care. It just raised his confidence higher, to see Sonic, of all people, scared of him.

"I'll do anything to stay with your daughter," Sonic replied. "Please."

"Too late," Howard replied. "Two years too late, actually. Now leave."

Sonic wanted to fight, he wanted to win. But he knew if he stayed and argued, it would just get worse, and he would never win Amy back. Howard was just as stubborn as Sonic, the cobalt hedgehog could tell. If he was to win Amy back, and if he was to be accepted by the whole family, he'd first have to get on Howard's good side.

But, the cobalt hedgehog could see no way of doing this. How could leaving forever, be the solution? It wouldn't help any of them.

Amy and Barbara were saying something, but what, Sonic didn't know. His mind was thinking, pondering, hoping to come up with a way to get on Howard's good side within the next minute. All he heard was his own thoughts, and distant thunder. His anger had turned to fear. And he suddenly realized Howard knew this fact already.

He wanted to pick up Amy, and run away with her. He knew she wouldn't mind this; she had-and she knew it- just given herself to Sonic by placing her hand in his. She wouldn't be too surprised if Sonic took them away at any moment. But what she wasn't expecting, was to feel his warm hand in hers, suddenly disappear. Gasping quietly, she stopped arguing with her step-father to see Sonic slowly back away from her. Her eyes immediately filled with tears as she tried reaching for him again. All this went unnoticed to her parents, who still argued as the rain slowly began to fall from the sky.

She mouthed his name, but Sonic wouldn't meet her eyes. Finding his hands again, she took them, and moved closer to him, hoping he wouldn't move away from her again.

"You can't leave me," she whispered, but Sonic still looked away.

"Amy, I'm sorry," he murmured, and he again moved away from her. "But if we're gonna be together, I want Howard to accept me."

"Howard'll never accept you!" she cried out, and a single tear fell from her eyes.

"We'll think of something," he answered. "I'm going to get you back, you hear?"

Sonic took another step back, feeling the rain hit his shoulders only barely. Howard and Barbara looked up from their squabbling, and almost missed his next four words. "I love you, Amy," the blue hedgehog whispered. The lightening flashed in the sky as he continued backing away. "I'll get you back."

And, just as the thunder rolled across the sky, Sonic ran off.

"Sonic!" Amy cried, and she ran off the porch, as if she thought she could catch him. "Sonic, come back!"

Howard grabbed her, pulling her back towards the house and away from the retreating blue streak of light. Amy looked up at him, her fresh tears reflecting off of her face from the lightening. Most fathers would've given into the look she gave him.

But Howard was different.

"Glad he came to his senses," he stated, and he laughed, a laugh Amy suddenly feared. More tears poured from her eyes like a fountain, and Barbara took her daughter in her arms, giving Howard such a glare as she did so that the red hedgehog suddenly realized what he had done.

Howard's once stern face turned into fear, just for a second. He had just done something he told himself he wouldn't be doing. He had just torn himself away from his family. And all because of a stupid blue hedgehog.

Anger again coursed through his veins. He couldn't do anything right, it seemed, and he wanted to let out a howl of rage right then and there. He only resisted, because he knew that if he did, his wife and daughter would fear him. And, he suddenly didn't like knowing that people could fear him.

He felt ashamed, but only for a second. The feeling of anger towards himself slowly began to cool. Yes, he had separated himself from the family, but also, he had gotten Sonic _out_. This was exactly what he had wanted. He could get himself back in.

"I wouldn't try to get him back," he said sternly to Amy. The rosette hedgehog looked up from her tears, and Howard suddenly felt hunted. Her glare was one of the worst he had ever seen from someone, and his ears retreated behind his head as he backed away, towards the safety of his own home. "Get over it, Amy. You live here now," he explained, his voice quivering only slightly. Amy didn't notice his fear or quivering voice, however. She only noticed his own glare to her, and what he had done to her.

Howard, seeing no reason to stick around, headed back indoors. Barbara followed soon after, holding onto the shaking rose as she entered. She glared at her husband momentarily as she passed him. He stared out the window, pretending not to have noticed the look he had received. He pretended he didn't care.

He had always been good at hiding his emotions, even from his own family.

And, he often wondered if this was a good thing.

* * *

Whoo, I got it done! I was hoping to get this thing done today! So, what do you think? Looking back at my old version of this story, I feel as ashamed as Howard did, if not worse, lol. I'm so glad my writing's improved. Anyway, hope you enjoyed this chapter, and reviews are appreciated!

~Ksonic~


	6. The Nightmare

List:

Rachel-1994!

Midnight Falls!

GalexiatheChao!

Lupus Silvae!

sonic5521!

Vulpus Griseus!

xxPR1NC3S5xx!

videogamelover221!

Hedgehog64!

Mike Prower the Fox!

Whoo, I feel so special! Thanks so much guys for your loyalty with these reviews, it makes my day. A lot of you seem to hate Howard hehe. It's fun to read your reviews in that regard as well. Anyways, thanks again peeps! Sorry it took a while to update. Anyway, onwards, march!

* * *

Chapter 6

The Nightmare

Two claps of thunder sounded at the same time, one being real thunder, the other, just being a sonic boom. On normal circumstances, Sonic would've either noticed his syncopation with the thunder and laughed, or he would've been screaming about getting wet. Which ever, he wasn't acting normally, and this was apparent as he ran through the forest without laughing or screaming. The wind and rain rushed past him as his speed increased, but he saw or felt neither as he reached a familiar house. Halting in his tracks, the blue hedgehog gazed at the small but cozy home with mixed thoughts swarming in his brain. He wanted to stop here, tell everything to his fox brother who lived in the very house. He wanted to be able to rant and rave about how cruel Howard was being, he wanted to be able to receive comfort.

But he knew he wouldn't do that, even if he did visit Tails. For some reason, Sonic didn't want to talk about what had happened. Maybe he felt it was too early to be talking about his "break up" with Amy. He wanted comfort from someone, but he didn't know if he wanted it now, or, for that matter, if he wanted it from Tails. But then, where was he to go to be able to talk? Knuckles never listened to the blue hedgehog, and he didn't want the motherly comfort and concern Cream and her mother would offer. He wanted friendly, brotherly advice. Just not now.

The hedgehog shook his head numbly. Rain that had been clinging to his quills ran down his back at the movement, and he shivered, suddenly realizing the storm for the first time since he had left Amy. If anything, Tails would be able to offer him a warm house to hang out in for an hour or so, until the rain cleared up.

With these thoughts in mind, the cobalt hedgehog headed to the door of the small house, and quickly knocked three times.

"I'll be right there!"

The blue hedgehog smiled at the sound of Tails' voice. Even though he was being separated from Amy, he knew Tails would help him think of something to get her back. That is, when he'd tell him. He frowned at this thought, but before he could think much more, the door opened.

"Sonic!" the fox cried, surprised. "What're you doing here?"

"Well, it _is_ kinda raining, and my feet led me to your house so…" Tails stepped aside from the door, allowing the wet hedgehog inside the warm home. The TV was on in the living room, and on the couch sat a plate of leftovers Tails had previously been eating. "Sorry if I interrupted anything-" Sonic started, but he stopped when Tails began to laugh.

"Na, there's hardly anything worth watching on the piece of junk." He waved towards the TV carelessly. "Nothing clean on at least."

Sonic smiled weakly as he followed Tails back towards the living room. Tails grabbed the remote, and turned off the TV, before plopping back down in his seat, Sonic doing the same.

"So, besides your feet, what brings you here?" the fox questioned, smiling at his older brother. Sonic shuffled nervously in his seat. The time to tell about Amy hadn't come, and yet, that was why he was here.

"Uh, well, it's kinda a long story…"

"Oh, do tell, then." The fox leaned back in his seat, preparing himself for a long conversation. He wasn't prepared, however, when Sonic shrugged, scratching the back of his neck as he answered,

"Eh, I'd rather not talk about it, Tails. I'm kinda…beat. Long and tiring day, ya know?"

"'Long day'? There's no such thing in your case!" The fox teased, but his smile disappeared when Sonic didn't answer him. "What's going on?"

"Tails, I just said I didn't wanna talk about it," the hedgehog answered, forcing himself not to get worked up. He looked out the nearby window, wishing it wasn't raining so hard outside. If he went home, he might spare himself a long talk with Tails. But when he again looked at his little brother, he figured he couldn't leave when he had just gotten there. That would be rude.

Luckily, the fox didn't force him to say anything about his day.

"You don't have to tell me if you really don't want to," Tails replied. He stood up from his seat, taking his now empty plate of food towards the kitchen. "But, you're welcome to stay here till the rain lightens up. The news said it wouldn't, though, until late tonight. So if you have to spend the night, the couch is available."

Sonic smiled at the fox as he started the dishes.

"Thanks, bud!" he called from the living room.

"Hey, what're friends for?"

The cobalt hedgehog leaned into his seat, feeling relieved as he did so. What would he do without Tails?

His smile slowly turned into a frown as he slowly recalled the night. Amy wasn't with him. She may never be with him again. At this he sighed angrily , hoping Tails hadn't heard him. He didn't want to worry the young fox any more than he already had. But still, the thought of not being with his true love, the one he had given up everything for, was aggravating.

A sentence Howard had told the hedgehog slowly found itself back in Sonic's brain; the sentence about Howard thinking Sonic was dangerous. At the time, Sonic had just shrugged it off, telling himself he wasn't dangerous in the slightest. The worst he had ever done, was defeat robots! But then, the memory, the horrible memory of _Dark Sonic_ was remembered, and suddenly the hedgehog didn't see himself completely _safe_ either. He shivered at this thought, before curling into the warmth of the couch, hoping to have a short hedgehog nap before the storm ended. It was rare for him to be tired, but when he was, he was worn out. Why he was tired when he hadn't been destroying robots all day, the hedgehog didn't know. And when Tails came to talk to his big brother a few minutes later but found him asleep, the fox suddenly realized that Sonic's "long day", had actually been, "a long day." And this worried the fox, as he quickly put a blanket over the pale hedgehog before heading to his own warm bed.

* * *

_Stress. It was something that normally never affected the blue blur, but when it did, it hit him hard. Usually his friends never noticed when he'd become more rigid, and when he'd get a little less talkative and cocky. Amy had the gift to be able to tell when this mood was upon him, but this time she seemed oblivious to the whole thing. Which was just as well, to him anyway. When he was upset, he didn''t want his friends to know; it would just worry them, and worry, none of them needed at this time._

_So, he hid it from his friends. He did a pretty good job hiding it from himself, as well. All he had to do was smile cockily, tell himself he was cool, and then, he'd practically be back as the same hedgehog he had been only a minute ago. He had become good at fooling his brain with these fake emotions, and he used them quite frequently, especially at this time. The Metorex were becoming smarter, more dangerous. And it worried the hero to the point of needing to boost himself with an extra smile every now and again.__ But_, anger in him was so infrequent he hardly- if at all- lost sleep over it.

_Until that day._

_When he had woken up that day, it had started as any other day. The stars twinkled, and the nearest sun was thousands and thousands of light years away, according to the all knowing Tails. The Metorex were on their trail, and yet, for some odd reason, they weren't shooting at the ship. When they had figured out the reason why, the cobalt hedgehog had faked amusement, getting everyone else light-hearted. Which was exactly what he had intended as a real smile spread on his tan muzzle._

_He didn't expect his day to turn completely, however. When his newest friend Cosmo, along with Chris had disappeared off the ship, the hedgehog had mixed emotions. Concern was at the top of his list, and when he found out where the two had gone, anger was number two. How could they be so stupid into going to the Metorex's base alone? But, he had laughed to himself, and the previous anger in his soul disappeared as quickly as it had come. No one knew about his split second anger, and he had hardly noticed himself._

_He got into position in the cannon quickly, smirking to himself as he pictured the Metorex's faces when he'd ruin their base. They would get so upset with him; maybe a battle could be started. Although the hedgehog hated unnecessary fights, there had always been the part of him that enjoyed destroying robots. He wasn't a murder in this regard; a person that likes to break down sticks was basically the same. Robots weren't alive anyway._

_The cannon suddenly sent him shooting across the solar system at intense speed, and the adrenaline began pumping through his veins. The hedgehog smiled as he spinned closer and closer to the base, until, he felt the hard walls against his spines give way. He laughed to himself as he landed with a crash in the base, sending hundreds of fake emeralds in many different directions._

_Suddenly, the laughter within him ceased, and he felt sick to the stomach. Looking around the room, he spoke to himself softly, trying to ease his new fear. The fake emeralds seemed to have a lot of negative energies to them, and few or no positive energies. Taking a deep breath, the hedgehog looked up at the ceiling, and, upon seeing the hole he had made in his descent, jumped up it. He found the Metorex leader like he had wanted on that very first jump, and his expression turned serious as he looked at his powerful enemy. An enemy that had proven many times to be more powerful and capable then Eggman._

_They said a few things to each other. The Metorex leader wanted to do tests on him. The hedgehog wasn't so keen to the idea. He just wanted his friends back in his pocession. _

_When he saw the look on Cosmo's face a few minutes later, anger again found its way into his soul, but this time, he wasn't mad at Cosmo or Chris. This time, it was because of his enemy._

_He became more aware of the negative energies in the fake emeralds all of a sudden, as anger danced in him. Maybe he could use it. The negative energies could make him Super just like the positive did. They might make his Super self be slightly different. But this, the hedgehog didn't want to think through. The negative energies seemed to be calling to him, their voices seeming sweet and innocent. If he didn''t know better, they sounded like Cosmo pleading for him to save her.  
_

_The adrenaline in his system suddenly became like a stranger to the hedgehog, and the words he spoke to his enemy were never to be remembered. Unknown to him, his fur turned a dark shade of blue, and he chuckled- a chuckle most would describe as evil- as he turned slightly to face his enemy . He said something else, and then, with a quick bolt of energy, he lunged at the two nearby robots, one of them being silver, the other gold in color. The silver was instantly destroyed, and the blue hedgehog felt power as he attacked the second. This felt good, to attack these robots. It seemed fun, he was enjoying it more then he ever had before. Nothing seemed daunting anymore as he said something smugly to the Metorex leader, holding his hands up in fists._

_"Sonic, wake up!" a voice called, but the dark blue hedgehog only looked up irritably. How dare someone demand he wake up; he was up!_

"Sonic!"

The cobalt hedgehog woke with start, sitting up instantly. He scanned the room, thinking to himself something had to be wrong if Tails' voice had sounded so urgent.

"What, what's going on?" he demanded, and Tails quickly shushed him.

"Chill, Sonic, everything's fine." The two-tailed fox looked at his brother with concern. "Except, you sure didn't sound fine."

"What do ya mean by that?" Sonic questioned, running a hand through his damp quills. He blinked, wondering why he appeared to be shaking slightly, when he slowly began to remember the vivid nightmare. His eyes grew wide as he stared at the two-tailed fox, and asked, "Don't tell me I dreamed about..."

The fox nodded his head sadly, and suddenly, Sonic felt embarrassed, and a weakling. The fact that he couldn't swim was also something that made him feel ashamed with himself, but this was number two on his list of "problems". It was rare for him to dream about him turning _Dark_, but when he did dream about it, it was never a good experience. It often led to mild sleep-talking, if not more then that. Tails must've been referring to this when he had said Sonic didn't sound alright.

"Alright, Sonic." The blue hedgehog looked back up at the fox, trying not to look ashamed. He was a hero, not a weakling who had nightmares. "What happened with Amy today?"

The cobalt hedgehog's jaw dropped.

"H-how did you know-?"

"I'm smart, yes? What happened?" Tails smiled sadly as he made himself comfortable in his seat. Sighing, the hedgehog focused his gaze outside, where the rain still fell steadily outside.

"Amy and I aren't together anymore."

At first, the fox didn't know how to respond. He thought of laughing. Sonic and Amy, breaking up?! That wasn't even an option in their case! But when he saw the serious and depressed look on Sonic's face, he wondered if maybe it was possible for the two of them to have a major fight and break up cold.

"Amy and you...really?" The fox sighed shaking his head as he bit his lip. "You couldn't have said anything that bad...right?"

"It wasn't about what I said, it was about what her _father _thinks of me."

The hedgehog didn't wait for Tails to ask something else. Instead, he quickly told the full story to the fox, leaving out very little. The fox needed to know everything sooner rather then later. Sonic realized this now. When Sonic had finally finished his story about five minutes later, Tails didn't know what to say.

"So," the fox started, choosing his words carefully. He now understood why the hedgehog hadn't been so talkative when he had first come, and he now knew why the hedgehog was so down hearted and tired as well. "You can't be with Amy anymore? At all?"

The hedgehog shook his head numbly, and the two brothers sighed.

"Well, you are going to get her back, right?"

Sonic's head raised instantly at the fox's sentence, and his eyes bore into his brother's intensely.

"Of course I'm gonna get her back. What makes you think I wouldn't?"

Tails chuckled.

"I didn't doubt that you wouldn't go get her back," he answered, with a shrug of his shoulders. "I just had to make sure you were still the same competitive, always winning, _hero_ I know."

The hedgehog smiled, pretending he still didn't feel weak and dangerous. The one thing he hadn't told Tails about, was when Howard had called him dangerous. That was one of the reasons he had had the nightmare in the first place, Sonic was sure of it. So, Tails saying Sonic was a hero, suddenly didn't feel as good as it used to.

But none the less, Sonic was going to prove the world wrong. It was him against the world. He was going to show them he wasn't evil or dangerous for putting Amy in front of everyone else. Everyone but he and his close friends knew and understood his reasons for saving Amy. A lot of the world, however, probably didn't know the full-blown story about what Sonic had given for his previous girlfriend, and, for the world. Suddenly, a thought struck the hedgehog. Maybe, if he played his cards right, he'd not only get Amy back, and Howard on his good side, but he could get the whole _world_ back on his side. It might be a stretch, and it might be difficult, but this situation seemed to be the perfect one to settle everything once and for all between him, and all of his haters.

He smiled for real this time, the thoughts about how to do this swarming in his brain, and he hardly heard Tails bid him goodnight. The fox pretended he didn't notice Sonic's daydreaming look as he walked off. He was probably deep in thought about how to get Amy back, he figured. But why he was smiling at such thoughts, Tails knew not.

* * *

Yes, I got it written! You wanna know my excuse for not getting this up sooner? Okay, well, it starts with a busy life, it continues with a broken hard drive (it's still broken mind you) and it ends with those two problems combined. Am I sorry I didn't get this up sooner? Yes. Should I try harder next time? Well...that could be argued hehe. Anyway, it's up now, so you guys should be happy (as am I)! By the way, the second to last paragraph was written as I listened to "Me Against the World". Fitting, eh? lol anyway, reviews are appreciated! Hope you enjoyed this chapter!

~Ksonic


	7. The Move

List:

Supahmuffin! Mike Prower the Fox! xxPR1NC3S5xx! Midnight Falls! Vulpus Griseus! GalexiatheChao! Sonic5521! Rachel-1994! Lupus Silvae!

Thanks guys! And thanks for all of those who take the time to read this story too, weather they review or not. It all means a lot. Let's get going, shall we? Onwards, march!

* * *

Chapter 7

The Move

It seems that in day to day life, no one knows what they've lost, and how valuable it is to them, until _after_ they've lost it. Amy had heard this saying before. She hadn't thought much of it then, either. Why should she? She had everything she could possibly want only a day ago. Sonic was still hers, she had just found her long lost family, and the wind was still rushing past her spines as she ran along with Sonic. Today was a Wednesday; therefore, it was normal for her to feel the wind against her.

But today was not a normal Wednesday. If you could call anything _normal_ anymore, that is.

Amy looked up from her packing, gazing at her small yet cozy home sadly. Her father was ordering she move to her family's house, and away from here, the valley she'd lived in since she'd been a teenager. Order, was the right word for this, Amy was sure of it. His reason for her moving, simple: the further away from Sonic she was, the less she'd be tempted to see him. He hadn't even looked remotely guilty, Howard, when he had informed Amy about this rather sudden move. This only made her loathing towards him all the worse.

Really, the pink hedgehog didn't want to hate her step-father; this hatred, she knew, would only cause more trouble between her and Howard. But, she told herself, that she couldn't help if she hated him.

"At least he won't be home a lot," she mumbled to herself, "With all his stupid work an' all as a business man." She picked up a dirty sock lying on the floor, and flung it at the nearby packing box, not being in the mood to sort out what things went in which box at the moment. Sighing, she glanced up at the heavens, wishing the low ceiling in her room wasn't blocking her view of the lovely day outside. An angry tear came to her eyes as she realized today was too glum of a day for the outdoors to be so beautiful. The rain from the night before had cleared up by now, leaving only damp, healthy grass and leaves. A bird sang to itself as it made its spring nest, and Amy suddenly felt the urge to throw a rock at the dumb, happy animal. Who could be cheerful if she wasn't?

"Amy?" The rosette hedgehog looked away from the bird, her face trying hard to soften when her gaze fell on her little sister. Up until now, Jamie had been very quietly "helping" Amy pack up her few belongings within her room. Their mother and father, were, last they knew, packing up the larger pieces of furniture in the living room.

"What is it, Jamie?" Amy questioned, turning back to her dresser. She reached into the clothes, pulling out a handful and stuffing them into another box, different to the one the sock had been thrown in. Amy didn't notice this, however. Silence filled the room long enough for Amy's eyes to become moist, Sonic's picture clearly in her mind, when her sister stopped any tears from spilling out by saying,

"I…I was wondering if…I could go outside for a bit. You know, just for some air." The young girl looked hesitantly at her older sister. Although she was young and naïve, Jamie had learned to understand from experience when it was best not to talk or be wild. This was one of those times; Jamie knew this, for when her sister had been sniffling all day, it was clear that she wasn't in the mood for long, drawling conversations.

Amy continued throwing clothes into the box, and, without looking up, answered,

"Sure, Jamie. I don't see why you can't."

At this, the pink hedgehog brightened, and ran outside the crowed room, being careful not to knock anything over on her way out.

She wasn't nearly careful enough.

Jamie didn't notice as she slightly bumped into Amy's nightstand, knocking over a small picture. The sound of shattering glass aroused Amy from her thoughts, and she looked towards the floor. Her eyes filled with tears yet again, as she raced to the broken frame, but she didn't think about calling Jamie back and telling her to be more careful. There was time for that later. For the time being, Amy only wanted to be alone, or with Sonic. But, seeing as thought the latter wouldn't be happening, maybe not ever again, she told herself to be content with the 'being alone' bit, as she picked up the picture. A single sob escaped her mouth as she realized which picture had just fallen from the nightstand.

At the first glance, she wanted to throw the picture. And then, after looking at it again, she wanted to hug it. But, instead, her hands did neither, and she stared at the picture with awe and many other emotions she couldn't place. It seemed this picture always seemed to show up, just when she needed Sonic the most. A sentence, a single sentence, that Sonic had told her shortly after he had returned from being Eggman's slave two years ago, popped into her mind.

"I brought this picture with me during my slavery, Amy. I had to be able to see you, even if it was just through a picture. I would've gone crazy without it."

With this thought, her hands began to move, and she was able to hug the picture to her chest, silent tears pouring out from her eyelids. It was the picture of her jumping Sonic, so many years ago. She could still remember that moment, frozen within the picture, like it were yesterday.

"Amy?" Another voice besides Sonic's found its way into her brain, and she sighed, wishing the voice to be gone. Couldn't she have any time alone with herself, for two minutes? "Amy, come, it's time for lunch." Amy's mother stepped from the shadows, and into the light of the room. She stared sadly at her daughter, who lay on the floor, clutching something close to her heart.

"I'm not hungry."

At this, her mother frowned, and she walked determinedly up to the bundle on the ground. Getting down on her own hands and knees, Amy's mother slowly lifted her daughter from the cold ground. A whimper escaped Amy's mouth, but nothing more for several minutes as Barbara hugged the weeping rose, trying to comfort her.

"Amy, listen to me, darling." Barbara lifted her daughter's chin, gazing at the girl sadly. "I'm going to make you a little deal; but don't you dare tell Howard, or he'll skin us both alive." Amy nodded sadly, hardly listening anyway. "When Howard's not around, like, on a business trip, I give you and Sonic permission to be with one another."

Amy's first reaction was to laugh. She had to be dreaming. Why would her own mother be saying such a thing? Her second reaction was pure bliss, and, if her third reaction had showed up two seconds later, she would've squeezed her mother and squealed. But, of course, her third reaction ruined her excitement, and, she too frowned.

"Mom, that's awful nice of you and all…" She hesitated, biting her lip, and taking a deep breath before continuing. "But, shouldn't you be all for whatever Howard says? Shouldn't you be listening to him?"

At this, Barbara's face fell slightly, having been smiling at her daughter only a second ago. But just as quickly as the smile faded it returned.

"Don't worry about me and Howard, Amy. We'll be fine. But, I think it's time I start to have some control in these major decisions. Just because he's a man doesn't mean he can make all the decisions."

"Yeah, but-"

Barbara shushed her, and broke the hug, and twinkle in her green eyes.

"Trust me, Amy. It'll all work out." And with this, she turned, and started walking out of the bedroom, saying as she left, "Don't forget, it's time to eat."

Barbara hadn't convinced Amy, however. In her own heart, the pink hedgehog was both dancing, and shrinking away from Howard, for fear of what could come out of her being with Sonic, and him ever finding out. It was wrong for her mother to be going completely against what Howard had said, weather or not Howard was right in his own choices. Suddenly, Amy wondered how good their marriage was at this time. If the two of them couldn't peacefully talk about the boys in Amy's life, how would the red hedgehog react if he found out about this secret love that was to continue?

"Whatever his reaction, it definitely wouldn't be good," Amy mused, and again she looked out the window. She absent-mindly observed her younger sister smell one of the yellow dandelions, a trespasser to the garden. Blinking, she remembered the picture in her hands, and she again looked down at it, her brain still swarming with questions. Should she allow herself to still see Sonic, behind Howard's back? Her mother said it was fine, but, as thought before, the marriage could become worse, just because of her…

Suddenly, she knew what she was going to do, weather the right decision or not. She would see him, when Howard wasn't around, like her mother had suggested. Just, not so much. Besides, if her mother said "yes", she couldn't really be disobeying. She hadn't pleaded her way into her mother saying such a thing. She glanced once more at the picture. The picture seemed to symbolize so much for her and Sonic. It signified when Sonic first smiled at Amy jumping him, it signified Sonic's amazing love for Amy when he was Eggman's slave, and now it signified how their love would and could never fail. Absolutely never. She couldn't let some step-father of hers get in the way like this. She was an adult. She would be able to think of a way for them to be able to be together without having to do so behind her step-father's back.

Little did she know that Sonic too, was thinking the exact same thing.


	8. Retracing Steps

List: Hyper Hedgie, Midnight Falls, Mike Prower the Fox, Vulpus Griseus, Rachel-1994, GalexiatheChao, Lupus Silvae, Sonic5521, xxPR1NC3S5xx!

Thanks a bunch guys! Sorry that it took a while to update. Anyway, onwards, march!

* * *

Chapter 8

Retracing Steps

He had never expected that he would ever _need_ to go back to what had changed everything. He knew he couldn't outright say that he would never come back, but to need, that was much different. Who would find a need to go back to a place that changed their personality, and their future as they knew it, and in a bad way? So much had changed for the hedgehog when he had been a slave in this rain forest, two years ago. He had been broken, for starters. Often, he was ashamed of himself for breaking down in only six months. He had thought himself stronger than that. Whenever he'd voice this to anyone, however, they always told him the exact same thing. He hadn't been broken. He just merely became more obedient.

Same thing, to the blue hedgehog.

With a sigh and a shake of his head, Sonic continued observing the rain forest he now stood in, looking for any familiar trees or flowers. Everything seemed to look the same in his eyes, and he couldn't find the entrance to Eggman's old base for the life of him. He had only been searching in the same area for about ten minutes, but, to Sonic, ten minutes was a life time of waste unless spent running, eating chili dogs, or, being with Amy. All of which he wasn't doing, or didn't have at this time.

When the blue hedgehog had announced his plans of finding Eggman's old base to Tails, the kitsune had instantly been confused. It was not until Sonic told him the rest of his plan; the plan to show Howard, Amy's step father, what he had gone through for Amy. And the only way to show Howard the hedgehog's trauma from two years ago, was to show pictures of him from that time, with his gashes still in sight (Easier said than found, was Sonic's quick conclusion.), and or to show him the laser that had first broken through him in the first place. Last Sonic knew, the laser was still underground, in the base, rusting away from lack of use. The mental picture of the machine made Sonic shiver on the insides. He wasn't looking forward to meeting his robotic enemy again, even after two years. That laser had a way of still haunting his very dreams, much like _Dark Sonic_ did.

'_Coward. Scared of a dumb laser_,' Sonic mentally scolded himself, and he tried to shake the feeling off. He hated thinking of himself as a coward. That wasn't him, or, at least the old him. Who was he anyway? Now-a-days, it seemed hard to know. _'You don't have time for this.'_ He scolded himself a second time, taking a few steps forward as he continued his pursuit to find the entrance to the base. _'Just find the entrance, make sure everything's still in the base as it was, and get out of here.'_

It was if the ground had been listening to his very brain, when it suddenly gave way under his feet. With a nervous gasp, the hedgehog quickly leaped back up to ground level, as he watched a small chunk of earth, his size, fall down, down, into the ground. Sonic cocked his head, curious to why the floor was sinking in as it was, when there had been an elevator for this particular base. What had happened to it?

"Well, aren't you going to go in?" The hedgehog jumped slightly, aware of hearing a voice, and not his own, come somewhere from behind him. Turning, he came face to face with none other than Bokkun. His jaw opened, and he stared at the short robot with wonder, as he smirked back up at the hedgehog. "Surprised?" the robot asked, as he leaned against a nearby tree. "Yeah, well, you should be." The blue hedgehog did not speak. "Never thought you'd see me again, of all things, eh?" Realizing that he should probably start saying something, Sonic quickly swallowed back his shock, also smirking.

"Nope," was all he could seem to find to say, however, and he told himself it would suffice. If the single word helped him get in the base, which might lead to getting Amy back, it was worth the embarrassment.

There was silence between the two of them for a minute, both watching each other cautiously. Bokkun was the first to break the silence.

"Well, you are going in, aren't you?" He nodded at the hole in the ground. "I mean, if you're here, you're reason has to be to go back into the base. Why you'd what to come back, I have no idea, but…" The robot's sentence trailed off behind him, until, Sonic spoke up.

"That hole leads down to the old base?" He pointed at the dark hole, glancing down at it for a second, and Bokkun nodded.

"Of course."

"Well, than where's the elevator?" He turned back to face Bokkun, questions starting to form in his brain. But suddenly, he couldn't see Bokkun. "Bokkun?" He called the robot's name, as if he expected the robot to pop out of nowhere like he had a minute ago, and answer all of his questions. But, after calling the name a second time, and not seeing a hint of the robot, Sonic sighed, and looked down at the hole, for the third time. What if Bokkun had been lying, and it was all just a trap? What if the hole marked his death?

But Sonic didn't want to think about all the possibilities. It would just hurt his brain. So, with a bold and stupid step-the hedgehog was almost positive, it was both- he allowed gravity to pull him down, down into the depths of the earth.

Without an elevator to speed the process of gravity up, the decent seemed slow-going to Sonic. Minutes seemed like hours, even though he knew he was only a few minutes away from his destination. After about two minutes of steady falling, Sonic decided that it would probably be a good idea to try grabbing onto the wall, so as not to hurt himself when he finally did touch the ground. Clutching the dirt wall with both fists, he listened to the scraping of dirt against his fingers, as he began to slow in speed until he stopped. Once stopped, he continued his decent by climbing downwards, until, rather suddenly, the walls changed from dirt and stone to steel. With no holes in the steel for his fingers to grasp, the hedgehog was quickly beginning to fall again, and this worried him slightly. What if his decent would also be steel?

But before that thought could even be replaced with a second, Sonic was aware of hitting the ground, and the steel floor echoed a welcoming to him as he stood up, pretending not to notice the slight pain in his legs for landing straight after falling for the last thirty seconds. He blinked, trying to get used to the darkness as he stared back up the hole, hoping to see, if only a small dot of light. He could see nothing.

He was now aware for the first time how far below ground Eggman's base really had been, and it instantly got him curious, and a bit nervous. Eggman must've been brighter and more capable than they had all thought, if he was able to dig into solid ground in less than a few days. Suddenly, small, blinking lights began to appear in front of the hedgehog, and he raised an eyebrow, surprised. The lights swayed in the darkness, slowly coming closer to the awe struck hedgehog. He recognized them from somewhere, but, where?

One of the lights stopped right in front of his face, giving Sonic the chance to see what they really were. It was then that he smiled, and laughed, realizing for the first time, that these were the underground fireflies Eggman had spoke of at the beginning of his slavery so long ago.

"I almost forgot 'bout you lil' guys," he whispered, and he reached out a hand, trying to grab one of them.

_Ssteeeaaal iiitt._

Instantly, the hedgehog looked up for the source of the strange voice, his eyes full of anxiety of having possibly been seen by something deadly, when he remembered he had heard the voice long before now. He laughed again at himself. It wasn't a voice, it was the wind. It had been before, when he had heard it during slavery. He had first heard the strange voice-like wind a month before he became free, and his conclusion with it, was that since winter had been drawing closer, the wind got a new sound to it. But, since winter was long but over at present day, Sonic's mind filled with questions, trying to answer why the strange wind was here, in the middle of spring.

Sonic shrugged, quickly deciding it wasn't important, and he looked down at the fireflies again. He gasped as he realized the one closest to him a minute ago was slowly backing away, a yellow chaos emerald on its back. Sonic smirked at the fireflies attempt to steal the chaos emerald he had brought, and he reached out, plucking the emerald away from the lighting bug.

"Nice try, buddy." The hedgehog winked at the small bug, before looking down at the emerald in his hand, which blinked uncertainly, as if loosing power. The hedgehog raised an eyebrow at this, before shrugging once again, and running away from the strange fireflies. No wonder Eggman thought them annoying, so long ago.

The hedgehog stopped again a minute later, as he started to recognize the walls around him. The lights were all off, so it was good that he still held his emerald out, which gave a small amount of light for him to follow. The lights that had been here previously, had all but burned out, or, been turned off. Sonic didn't know which, nor did he care. He didn't have time to care. Again, Sonic began to move, looking for the all but too familiar room, which had changed his whole being, and that room, was the laser room. He didn't have to go far from his first stop to find it. The door leading into the laser room was one of the closest doors to the entrance.

The door opened with a loud creak, and the hedgehog winced, as if he felt he was intruding on something not his. Which, in a way, it wasn't his to look at. Taking a shallow deep breath, for what reason he knew not, the hedgehog walked into the dark and still room, his protective, yellow light, barely surrounding him from the deadly black. Squinting, he tried seeing the laser, but realized that he'd have to find it without his eyes, but my memory first.

"Gosh, it's quiet." The hedgehog continued glancing around the room, wishing only for a larger and more efficient source of light to shine in the room. Suddenly, he felt he was being watched. Turning around quickly, he shone the chaos emerald's power at the dark, but saw nothing but a table with something black on it. His interest peaked, he went over towards the table, so as to investigate the strange black object on the table. He hadn't recalled a table in the laser room before. In fact, the only thing that had been in the room had been the laser itself and the cuffs to hold him in place. So why was this mysterious table in here?

Reaching the black object, the cobalt hedgehog carefully lifted it off the table, realizing for the first time that it was round in shape, and no bigger than a miniature basketball. The ball seemed to reflect the darkness penetrating from the room, and Sonic had a feeling if there was more light, he would be able to see his reflection, and he bounced the orb back and forth between his hands. He blinked warily, not understanding what the sphere before him was, and if he should be concerned. But these thoughts soon lifted as the light from the emerald, which now sat on the table, suddenly reflected a giant machine. Looking away from the black orb, Sonic realized that he was standing in front of the laser.

He wanted to run away right than and there. Besides, this whole mission seemed pointless to him. How could showing Howard a dark and quiet underground world change his mind on whether or not to let him be with Amy? It seemed highly unlikely that Howard would even follow the hedgehog down here.

_'That's why you're invitin' the media to come too, hedgehog,' _Sonic reminded himself, as he set the ball back on the table where it had come from. _'If they see this place, you know it'll be on TV, and Howard'll have to see it all eventually.'_

With these thoughts in mind, Sonic picked up his emerald, and shone it at the opposite wall, walking away from the table as he did so. When he reached the other side of the small room, and saw the cuffs, he concluded that everything was still in tact in this room for it to be show able. Next, was his own "room" from back then, and he raced out of the room, glad to be away from what had done most of the hedgehog's changing two years earlier.

Nothing new was in the hedgehog's old room when he arrived, except dust and cobwebs. Besides that, the place was still damp, cold, dark, and overall the worst place ever to take a nap in. Sonic got out of that room quickly as well.

The hedgehog only spent ten minutes in the rest of the base, checking up on every room he could find with his dim light. They were all relatively the same. No crazy fireflies bothered him again until he made his way back to the entrance. At the entrance, Sonic stared up the long hole; wondering and pondering his escape back up. He didn't want to be in here a minute longer. And yet, it looked like he would be.

_Ssteeeaaal iiitt._

The blue hedgehog shivered, hating the strange wind more than he had even when he had been here. Was it the fact that he was all alone now, and that the voice seemed more frequent than it used to? Sonic nodded his head at the thought, deciding that that had to be his answer. A firefly suddenly flew toward him, and Sonic brought the emerald closer to himself, not wanting to loose the light even for a second.

"Not this time, buddy." The hedgehog reached out a hand, and attempted to make a grab for the small bug, but it got out of his grasp in a second, and raced back towards the other fireflies, making Sonic chuckle. Looking back up the hole, Sonic suddenly wondered if, by the power of the emerald, he could launch himself back up and outside. It was worth a shot, anyway, and the hedgehog got into a spin attack position, before he jumped up, as high as he could.

At first, it looked like he was getting nowhere. But than, suddenly, the power from the emerald got him up higher than the ten feet he had managed to jump up. Gravity began to pull him back down a second later, and the hedgehog swiftly grabbed onto the steel wall, barely getting enough of a grip to jump once again. This went on for a while, until, light penetrated the hedgehog's eyes, and he was back up above the ground. He smiled as he crawled out of the hole, glad to be gone from the nightmare below, and he shook himself free of the dirt as he stepped away from the hole. Dirt and grass suddenly covered the hole back up, and Sonic pondered over the fact only for a second, before drawing a large "X" in the dirt, so as to find the hole again the next time he came. How he was to get the media and or Howard down that hole without any trouble, the hedgehog had no idea.

"Should've brought a camera," the blue hedgehog muttered, but than he smiled. It would all work out, anyway. Why worry? What was the point of worrying when this idea probably wouldn't even work? The hedgehog frowned, hoping he hadn't just wasted the better part of his afternoon, before he set off in a run, quickly getting up to the speed of sound. It wasn't long before he felt the prairie grasses tickling his sides as he continued gaining momentum, and even shorter before he felt the different wind that meant a city was only a few miles off.

It was sundown as he reached Amy's family's house, and he swiftly knocked on the door, his panting from his long run ending in only a second. He breathed in deeply, hoping that he could at least catch a glance of his love. He waited a few seconds, before the door opened up, showing none other than Jamie. The child instantly smiled at him, and stepped away from the door without a word.

Sonic smiled back at her, glad to know he wouldn't have to face the red hedgehog now, but also irritated that he couldn't. But, when Amy slowly stepped into the room a second later, looking forlorn, Sonic's smile became genuine, and he walked towards her purposefully, stopping a few feet away from the bewildered hedgehog.

"Sonic, what're you doing here?" she questioned, her eyes suddenly looking teary.

"Actually, I came to talk to your father," the hedgehog answered, barely containing himself from walking up to her and wiping her tears away as they began to flow down. Amy smiled weakly.

"About, if we can-"

"Of course."

Amy's tears became more frequent, as she herself walked up to him, and hugged him, quietly weeping. Sonic hesitated for a second, before hugging her back, afraid that if Howard caught them there couldn't be any negotiation between them.

It could be debated if he should've hesitated another few seconds, and, if he had, if his outcomes would've been any better. For, without any warning whatsoever, Howard walked into the room, his eyes darkening the instant he saw the blue hedgehog in his house, hugging his daughter.


	9. Discussions

List: Lupus Silvae, Sir Casey of the Lea, Pyroboy5000, Vulpus Griseus, GalexiatheChao, Midnight sanctity, and Rachel-1994. Thanks guys! And yes, I finally got a chance to update…Anyway, hope you enjoy this short chapter, and onwards, march!

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Chapter 9

Discussions

Slowly, the blue hedgehog released Amy, staring up at Howard like he had just been caught stealing a cookie from the cookie jar as a five year old. He nervously chuckled, and he rubbed the back of his neck, like he usually did when embarrassed, and he opened his mouth to try and speak, but no words came.

"What are you doing here?" Howard was the first to break the silence, his voice sounding forced as he continued glaring at the young hedgehogs.

"He came to talk to you, Howard," Amy stated, standing in between the two hedgehogs. "To set things right." Howard grunted.

"Things are fine just the way we left 'em," He growled, and he looked towards his wife, who had just entered the room, hoping she'd give him support. Her face was shocked at first, for seeing Sonic in the house, but she quickly covered the shock with a mask, giving Howard a blank look. The red hedgehog sighed, wishing for once that someone was on his side. "What do you want here?"

"I want," Sonic started, choosing his words carefully, "for you to come see what I went through for Amy two years back." Silence clung to the air like it does when snow falls, and Sonic shuffled nervously, waiting anxiously for the hedgehog's response.

"How the heck could I see that?" Howard finally managed to snap, and Sonic sighed angrily, his patience running thin.

"I found the base that I stayed in two years ago with Eggman," he explained. Amy looked at her previous boyfriend with shock. She knew he had never wanted to go back there, and yet, he had given into his fear to be allowed back with her. Tears formed in her eyes, but before she could say anything, Howard answered,

"How could seeing some stupid two-year old base help you get your "true love" back?"

His voice was full of mocking, anger, and hatred, and Sonic suddenly wondered if this whole plan had been worthless, like he had thought it might be.

"Everything's still as it was," he answered with gritted teeth. "The laser that broke me, the cell that was my room, the second ultimate machine that never managed to attack the city- everything. And I can show you what I went through, for six months. You could never feel my agony though, and I doubt you could ever understand the pain I had knowing that the city might be in danger, 'cause I had given in."

"You didn't care one bit for the city, admit it!" Howard spat, his eyes burning.

"How would you know?" Sonic barked, his temper now getting the best of him. "You aren't me, you weren't there! And now, I'm giving you the chance, for five minutes, to see what I went through, to be there!"

"You just want me to have pity for you, so maybe I could let you have your "Oh so precious girl" back."

The comment stopped Sonic's rebuke before he could voice it, and he closed his open mouth, thinking about what the older hedgehog had said, and suddenly, he knew that Howard was right on that one. He closed his eyes and shook his head, wishing for an excuse, wishing to be able to run away with Amy, wishing to not be tied down because he had to obey parents that weren't even his. Howard looked around the room smugly, sensing Sonic's change in mood. He looked at the three women in the room, first Barbara, who gave him a look of pure annoyance, than Amy, who looked shocked, angry, and hurt all at once, and finally at Jamie, who looked up at him with big blue eyes, her bottom lip quivering, and, suddenly, Howard realized that she was scared. Not scared of Sonic, but scared of him. Finally, he looked back at the blue hedgehog, who was still being quiet, which amazed Howard, it having been over a minute since a word had been spoken.

"Dad." The word was spoken with fear and trembling, and Howard turned to the youngest in the room, who had dared speak. Tears were in her eyes as she looked up at her father, for once not saying her loving "Daddy" to him, and Howard felt his heart slowly crack. He had hurt his real daughter, and this, was something he had never, in a billion years, wanted. "Dad…Sonic's a good person."

'_No he's not!' _Howard wanted to scream, but he didn't say a word, as he waited on baited breath for her to continue. All eyes turned to Jamie, but she seemed oblivious to the attention she suddenly had.

"I can't believe that you won't even hear him out, without yellin' at him. You always taught me to listen before I spoke. What's different about this?" Tears were rolling down her face now, seeming to beg Howard to go and comfort his daughter, but he knew she wouldn't allow such a thing, her voice still quivering, her eyes still showing a hint of anger.

"Honey…" The red hedgehog had been caught, but how he was to explain to a ten year old his reasoning, he had no clue. "You don't know Sonic. He's…" he turned to Sonic, who gazed out the window with a look of pressure written on his face. Amy stood behind him, but, as he watched, he saw her slowly take Sonic's hand in her own, and the blue hedgehog's shoulders slowly fell, as if he had surrendered part of his pain to her, and she took it well, leaning her head against his shoulder as tears fell. "Not what you think." He knew his sentence was lame, but he also knew that was all he could offer as an explanation. Jamie looked back up at him, anger now clearly written on her own face.

"No, Dad. I know what true love is." She motioned to her sister and Sonic, who were still in the same position as of a few seconds ago. "True love is sacrifice for one another. And that's exactly what Sonic did for her." Silence again hung in the air, until Jamie continued. "What if it was you and Mommy? Would you allow the world to get in the way?"

"He already does," Barbara whispered, but she was too quiet for Howard to hear.

"Of course not, honey," Howard answered. He took a step closer to her.

"Then don't do this to Sonic and Amy."

The sentence stopped Howard cold, and he again looked at the separated couple, who, by now, were looking at Howard, their faces both stoic.

"I'll let you think about it," Sonic said suddenly, and he turned to Amy, his look saying it all as he whispered in her ear, "I'm not givin' up yet." He kissed her gently on the cheek, trying not to draw attention to himself, though he knew Howard was watching. Slowly, he backed away towards the door. "Be back here in a week." Amy looked at him with horror, for a week, she felt, was too long to be separated from her love.

"I won't be here in a week," Howard huffed. "Business trip."

And suddenly, Sonic understood Barbara's comment minutes ago. Howard had already given up love for work, for the world.

The task in front of Sonic was suddenly more daunting then ever. How was he, a mere, once-upon-a-time hero, supposed to convince Howard that love was more important then work? Sonic knew there was a balance between the two, and he also knew that whatever the balance was, he hadn't met two years ago. But, he also knew he had come closer to finding it then Howard had. He shivered to himself, forcing himself to respond to the red hedgehog that looked at him with no emotion.

"When're you leavin'?" The question seemed so innocent, but everyone in the room noted the importance that sounded in the blue hedgehog's voice.

"Tomorrow." Sonic winced at this information, realizing that it would be longer than a week until he could see Amy again. "I'll be back in two weeks."

"Then I'll see you then." Sonic voiced it as a statement, not a question, and this seemed to suit the whole family just fine, as he looked at Amy once more, love flickering in his weary eyes, and he stepped out of the house, closing the door behind him with a depressed click of the latch.

The hedgehog set off on a quick run, anxious to get away from the home, yet anxious to stay at the home. He wanted Amy to be in his arms as he ran towards his own neighborhood, he wanted counsel, and advice, but he didn't know where to get it. He continued his run, not really sure where he was going when he didn't arrive home in five minutes. The wind rushed through his fur, calming him in a sense, counseling him, and telling him it would all work out. The wind was not a god, Sonic knew this. But he knew the wind had a way of being there for him, through God. This thought comforted him in itself, as he continued his aimless speed.

'_Steeal it.' _The wind said, and for once the sound didn't bother the hedgehog, for he hadn't even noticed it.

* * *

Announcement time! So, first off, don't be surprised if "Sugar and Flour" is updated today as well; I got a lot of time on my hands to do so…I've been thinking about deleting my old stories, like "Years to Remember" and just letting the improved version stay up. I know some of you still love the old versions, so if you want me to keep them up, you'll have to let me know before I delete them, which could be any time (it all depends on my mood, dear reader). I'm thinking of not only redoing this one, but "Tails the Fox at 15" and "Kyler." So, let me know what you think on this topic… Also, as some of you might have guessed from the last time I updated one of my stories, I'm starting to get into making sonic videos. I would love some friendly advice on how to do some special effects. If you do have any advice feel free to message me for more details on what I'm looking for...And, that's all I can seem to think of for announcements. Anyway, hope you enjoyed this last chapter, and please review!

~Ksonic


	10. Sun N' Rain

List: Hyper Hedgie, Mike Prower the Fox, Soniclovesamy, Lupus Silvae, GalexiatheChao, Rachel-1994, and Sonic5521!

Thanks everyone, and thanks to everyone who's still reading!

Agh, a month and a half. I bet that's how long this baby's been waiting to be updated. Sorry, peoples. Apparently I'm busier then I thought…

Listen to "Rain" by Breaking Benjamin as you read this (some lines in here come from that song). It'll get you into the right mood, especially for the ending (which I think I love a little _too _much)! Anyway, onwards, march!

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Chapter 10

Sun N' Rain

It was late afternoon when the fox left his home to visit his old friend. The sun hid behind a few clouds, but the light was bright enough to force the fox to put a hand up to shield his light eyes. The wind blew gently against his orange fur, and the new flowers that had just started to poke out of the ground swayed lightly. Despite the beauty, he sighed sadly, wishing that what he was about to do, didn't _need _to be done.

'_It doesn't need to be done,'_ he reminded himself and this only made him sigh again. He knew Sonic didn't need to know how Amy was doing; but the blue hedgehog certainly was close to that point. And besides, Amy needed to be caught up herself. With the disappearance of the gem only seven nights ago, one couldn't be too cautious. Hence, the reason why the kitsune held the red chaos emerald by his side, planning to give it to Amy, for safe keeping. He knew she'd guard it with her life.

Reaching a hill, the fox steadily climbed it until he reached the top, where a perfect picture of the city surprised him. He hadn't realized how close he was to Amy. Shrugging, he continued gazing at the city before him, and yet so far away from him, for he was only seeing it from the top of a hill.

"I suppose he works in one of those buildings," Tails muttered to himself, the 'he' he referred to being Howard, and he sighed for the third time, before he descended the hill, his gaze towards the lights of civilization. If it could be called _light_, that is.

Five minutes later, the kitsune reached the outer parts of the city, and he smiled softly when he quickly found the house Sonic said the pink hedgehog would be in. The house had a nice, kept-up yard, he observed, but he warned himself just the same to prepare for bitterness from the family. Sonic had said everyone in the family was kind and polite, except for Howard, so the fox shouldn't have been worried.

But, with everything he had heard about Howard, the fox wasn't so sure if he should be worried or not.

Reaching the wooden door, the fox cautiously lifted his hand to knock on the door, but before his knuckles even touched the wood, the door was opened, and there stood a hedgehog that resembled Amy in every way, only, she was a tad taller, and looked more wise. A confused look spread across the older women's face, but Tails interrupted her thought process by saying,

"I'm a friend of Amy's. Mind if I come in?" The women blinked, and then smiled, before stepping aside, allowing the fox inside the cozy looking home.

"You must be Tails," the women stated, her smile warming the fox as he shrugged off his jacket and placed it on a nearby coat hanger. "I'll go get Amy. She's been kind of downcast since…" The women, who Tails now assumed was Amy's mother, Barbara, paused. "Well, I'm sure you know. After all, you're friends with Sonic and Amy so…" She let the rest of her sentence hang as she shuffled off in search of her daughter, and Tails, suddenly sensing that Amy was as bad off as Sonic without her other half, morbidly sat down on in the living room, taking in the house. Like the outside, it was kept up and orderly; every small nick-knack had its own place on the shelves. Knowing from the blue hedgehog that Amy had a little sister, he was surprised to see no evidence of her, except for a few random family pictures, most of them having two females and no males in the frame. The kitsune frowned, seeing for himself the evidence that Howard was gone most of the time as he scanned the pictures, noting the location of each of them weren't too far away, but both of the hedgehog girls looked happy anyway.

"Tails?" the voice was soft, but the fox managed to hear it as he turned from the photos, only to see Amy in the entrance to the room. She smiled slightly as she walked towards Tails, but Tails could tell-not only from her messy quills, baggy eyes, and ragged outfit- that she was depressed, for her eyes hardly had any gleam in them as they had before. He forced a pleasant smile onto his face as he reached out to hug his best friend, and she hugged him back, sniffling slightly, and Tails prepared himself for an emotional visit. To his surprise, however, the pink hedgehog merely pulled away from the embrace, wiped her eyes, and took a seat next to the fox, her smile wavering only slightly.

"I'm so glad you came, Tails," she managed, light appearing in her eyes at her sentence. "I needed someone to talk to, and Cream hasn't been able to come-busy she says, so…"

"I'm glad I could come," Tails replied. "How's life been going?" At this, Amy frowned and sighed, looking down at her feet as she let a single tear fall. The kitsune pretended not to have noticed.

"Not well, I'm afraid," the rosette hedgehog replied. "I…I didn't realize how much I truly needed and loved him, you know?" She looked up then, hastily wiping away her tears as she waited for her friend to reply, for they both knew who the 'he' was in this case.

"Sonic feels the same," the fox answered, shifting uncomfortably in his seat, wishing that Sonic were here to break the ice. Sure, he was friends with Amy, but he had never been really good with speaking to girls-especially Cream-unless Sonic was around, for every time he seemed to try, they would all but cry all over him or frown or run or…The fox shook his head, trying to forget his own life for a moment. After all, he wasn't here for himself, at least, not fully. He was here because his big brother couldn't be. "He's been just as depressed as you and, well…" the fox paused, trying to figure out how he could word his sentence, when Amy interrupted him.

"Howard's not home." Her voice was quiet, collected, and she seemed to have just realized something for the first time. "And mom said I could see him when Howard didn't know…" A small smile spread across her face, and Tails raised an eyebrow.

"But, Amy," he interrupted, guessing her intentions, "if your parents don't agree-"

"Howard is _not_ my father," Amy growled, and Tails seemed to shrink into the couch a little bit, not wanting to see a hammer any time soon. Amy sighed again, and looked at her friend sadly. "I'm sorry, Tails. I just want to make that clear…" An awkward silence hung in the air for a minute, as the fox nodded his head slowly. "I know they don't agree, and I know it's bad. But, I want to see Sonic, and really, can't I choose which one I listen to?" Tails didn't respond, not knowing himself. "Maybe I shouldn't, but you know, I'm going to." Amy stood up from the couch, her eyes sparkling for an instant. Tails stood as well, deciding not to argue with Amy over what was right and wrong.

Because, ever since Sonic had returned from being Eggman's slave two years earlier, things had never been just black and white.

"I can tell Sonic," the kitsune found himself saying, and he bit his lip, suddenly wondering if this was even his place to get involved in. But he continued anyway. "What day?"

"Tonight," Amy replied, her voice dreamy, reminding the fox of the girl he had known before she had managed to win Sonic's heart, and was chasing him everywhere, for she now _had_ the blue hedgehog were she had wanted him. "Tell him to meet me where it all began." Tails raised an eyebrow at this. 'Don't worry; he'll understand what that means. I've used that phrase before." Content with this information, Tails nodded, and was about to ask if he should go now, when he remembered the other reason to why he had come here.

"Amy, there's another reason I'm here," he stated, and he sat back down. Amy, puzzled, slowly sank back into the couch as well, waiting patiently for the fox to continue. "You've seen the news recently?" The fox started, and the pink hedgehog nodded. The news was something she had immense time for these days, without a blue hedgehog to hang around all day with. "Did you hear the story about the missing chaos emerald?"

Amy frowned at this, and nodded once again. She had indeed heard the report, not directly, of course, since she had been crying in her room at the time, but she'd heard it from Jamie after the fact.

"Yeah," Amy replied. "The yellow one. What happened?"

It was Tails' turn to look worried. Sighing, he put his hands on his forehead, suddenly looking older than a fourteen year old.

"That's the thing, Amy," he finally said, and he looked up, his face focused on the sunset outside. "We don't _know _how this happened. One second we had it, and then it just…vanished."

"There aren't any clues?" Amy questioned, raising an eyebrow, for there had always been something for the team to work with when something like this happened. But the kitsune shook his head, gravely.

"No, not really," was his reply. "Sonic says something about the wind saying stuff, but really, the wind can say whatever Sonic _wants_ it to say. You know probably more than I do, that if the wind were a woman-"

"Yeah, I know," Amy interrupted. "The wind's been there for him through thick and thin. It's there when I'm not." She looked outside as well, noting a bird's vague song as it settled down for the night. "Anyway, Tails, the wind is not part of this discussion. What else?"

Huffing sadly, the fox reached into his fur coat, and pulled out a red chaos emerald. Amy's eyes enlarged, for she had forgotten the total beauty of the gem, and the fox handed it to her. The emerald's warmth traveled up her spine, calming her, as she continued to stare at it. Tails chuckled.

"You've been away too long," he mused, and Amy nodded her head as she looked back up.

"But, why give it to me? It's not like I can protect it-"

"Technically speaking, you're not "part of the team" anymore. So whoever's stealing the emeralds wouldn't think to look here," the fox explained, smiling wearily at her. Amy bit her lip, holding back the tears as the facts sunk in. Tails, like usual, was right. Another silence clung to the air for a minute as Amy gently stroked the outline of the emerald, her fingers feeling its power.

"What if I can't keep it safe?" she wondered, turning it in her hands as she gazed back up at her friend. "I've never been that good in the team anyway-"

"Oh, shut up, Amy," Tails answered, his voice stern even with his smile. "You're the one who we all knew could protect herself. Or anything we asked you to. With your life, that is." His eyes twinkled jokingly, and she visibly relaxed, lying back into the cushions of the couch.

"Alright, if you're sure," she fretted, and she stuffed it into her jeans' pocket. Tails nodded, and then stood, receiving a look from Amy.

"You want to see Sonic soon, don't you?" the fox questioned. "So, the sooner I leave the sooner you get to see him."

"Too bad that's true," Amy muttered, and the two laughed. Amy, realizing that she had just laughed for the first time in a week quickly stopped, surprised. She shook her head, and then smiled at her friend before hugging him. "Thanks for coming, buddy. I needed someone to lift me up."

"You'll always have someone to do that," Tails answered, smiling brightly, and then, with light steps, headed towards the door, Amy in tow. Another quick hug and the fox left the home, leaving the female hedgehog giddy, for she was to see Sonic.

And soon.

* * *

_Rain, rain, go away, come again some other day…_

"Rush hour. Why the heck is it called 'rush hour' when you're going slower then a slug?" the red hedgehog growled. The wind shield wipers to his hover car moved in a steady rhythm against the pounding rain, which had just started not ten minutes ago. Thunder rolled in the distance, as someone nearby honked impatiently, wanting to get home. The red hedgehog tapped his fingers impatiently, resisting the urge to honk the horn himself. Here he was, coming home a week early, and he was being held up by some dumb rain clouds and a traffic accident thirty miles down, that he wouldn't even run into.

Dumb luck.

With a sigh, he closed his weary eyes, as he ran a hand through his short spines. He was _so _tired. Work had practically destroyed every one of his brain cells that week, and he had rarely heard from his family. He knew they were mad at him about Amy, but seriously, why couldn't they at least return his calls more than once? It made his week all the harder and draining.

Someone was honking, and he opened his eyes, and quickly noticed a two feet gap between him and the other hover car, and he growled.

"Alright, I'm going!" he snapped, although he knew no one could hear him, and he pressed the accelerator down once, closing the inches between him and the other car. Again, he sighed, feeling even more exhausted then he had a minute ago. Staring outside for a minute, he watched the rain fall, counting the drops that landed on the car's glass.

'_1, 2, 3…'_

He forced his gaze away from the liquid, and turned to his cell phone, suddenly wondering if he should call home, to let his wife know that he was coming home early. Maybe she'd make his favorite dish.

'_Fat chance,' _he told himself, but he picked up the phone anyway, and dialed home.

He waited for someone to pick up. Anyone. It kept ringing.

_Ring, ring, go away. Never come again, I say…_

"Hello," a voice said. The hedgehog smiled wearily, and he opened his mouth to speak, but was interrupted. "You have reached Howard, Barbara, and Jamie Kindle's home."

His heart sunk. He wanted to cry.

Someone was screaming, "I got it!" and suddenly he heard Jamie's childish voice.

"Hi, Dad," she started. "Sorry about that. Mama was busy…"

'_She didn't say 'Daddy' again,' _he observed. _'And Mama's not busy.'_

He faked a pleasant voice.

"Hi, honey. What's new over there?"

"Amy-" the girl started, but then she suddenly stopped. "Nothing much, really. Wanna talk to Mama?"

"I'd love to," the hedgehog replied, and he could picture the child handing the phone to her mother as she ran off.

"Barbara?" His voice didn't sound pleasant anymore, because he couldn't fake it. He was too drained. He waited for her own voice, but he heard no reply. "Sweetie, I'm coming home early."

"Since when?" she questioned. His heart went limp inside his chest. There hadn't been joyous screaming in the background from Jamie. There hadn't been a sigh of relief from his wife, followed by a chuckle and an explanation over how Jamie had been driving her up the wall.

"Since, today," he answered, not knowing what else to say. The car in front of him moved an inch. He moved too.

"Oh." There was a long, long silence. "Alright. What time will you be home?"

"In about an hour or so," he replied, forcing himself to keep his voice from cracking. If her voice was going to be unemotional, then so was his, he figured.

"Nice notice, Howard," she grunted. The hedgehog opened his mouth to explain, but she cut in before him. "I'll set an extra plate."

"Tha-"

A buzz rang through his ears. Static. She had hung up on him. Slowly, he set his phone down, looking at his feet.

"I love you," he said, but he knew she didn't hear him.

_Not a family or honest plea remains to say, rain, rain, go away… _


	11. Breaking

List: Lupus Silvae, AmyFan11,1 Sonic5521, Hyper Hedgie, Rachel-1994, Pandagirl808, and GalexiatheChao! Thanks everyone, and look, I updated quicker this time (and you **_owe_ **me this time...). Thanks for all the reviews; let's get this show on the road! Onwards, march!

* * *

Chapter 11

Breaking

The evening was just right to the echidna. There were no signs of thieves on Angel Island, no signs of rain-for the whether on the island was different than on the main land- and everything just felt right. A cool breeze made his quills shuffle in the wind as he leaned against the Master Emerald, deep in thought over his guardian duty. The Master Emerald glowed brightly, having resumed a healthy posture again since the incident years and years ago with the Metorex, and the echidna sighed contently. Three chaos emeralds sat on the pillars nearby, awaiting a time to be used again, if ever.

The red echidna frowned at this thought, and he cracked one of his violet eyes open to glance at the gems. Life seemed too easy these days, without Eggman around anymore. There were times when he knew the whole team missed being busy; where the missed the constant, on-the-go life style. Until two years ago, fighting Eggman and his robots had been the teams' life. Now, there lives had taken a different toil.

For starters, Sonic had finally settled down. This in itself surprised the echidna, almost to the breaking point. After all, who would've thought Sonic to be _in love_? It hadn't fit his description a few years back. As for Tails, the fox now had so much time on his hands that he was starting to get bored in his day to day life. Unlike Sonic, the fox didn't have a girlfriend that preoccupied every second and thought of his day (again, the simple thought that Sonic was _that _deep with Amy, made the echidna want to laugh and cry all at once) so Tails was often taking long walks these days, as if wondering what he was to do with his life. And regarding himself, Knuckles, he didn't have much to do himself except what he was doing now. The echidna sighed at these thoughts, again wishing for adventure to sweep him off his rear end and into the world, like it once had.

"Great, you're becoming too care-free," Knuckles scolded himself. "Your job is too important to put in front of adventure, and you know it."

A silence filled the evening once again, making the echidna want all the more for something to do. Where was Sonic when he needed to get out his anger and fight? Where was Tails when he needed someone to roll his eyes at? Where was Rouge when he needed someone to argue and laugh with?

A dull buzzing sound from below caught the echidna's ears, and he slowly broke himself out of his thoughts as he stood and stretched. Maybe there was adventure down below. Maybe Rouge had come to visit him. He smiled cheekily at the thought, trying to pretend that he didn't care as he stepped away from his post just enough to look down the steps.

What he saw wasn't Rouge, and his heart sank, but only for a minute, because what he was seeing was odd enough as it was. Hundreds of fireflies had suddenly appeared below, and they seemed to be forming some kind of shape.

'_This ought to be good,'_ Knuckles thought, remembering vaguely the Chaos Monster back on Earth so many years back.

"Hey!" he screamed, wondering if the fireflies were intelligent enough to know they were being spoken to. The echidna rolled his eyes at the thought of talking to mere bugs, but, then again, this is what happened when you were left lonely for days at a time, he figured.

So obviously, he was surprised when the head of the formation of fireflies turned his way, and smirked.

* * *

He hated the fact that he was wet, and all over too. But yet, he continued running, continued grinning dumbly, as he raced through the second rain storm of the year, because he knew that by the time he finally stopped running through the deep mud, he would get to see Amy again.

Which, would make up for everything.

Seeing the lake up ahead only made him increase his speed, and within seconds he stopped, and glanced around, his eagerness apparent in his eyes. Taking a deep breath, and then shivering from the cold droplets landing all over him, the blue hedgehog forced himself to look calm and collected. Just because he loved Amy, didn't mean he had to look like a complete idiot and practically feel like squealing just to see her.

'_Gosh, that's an embarrassing thought,' _the blue hedgehog mused, as he sat down on the driest rock he could find.

The rain continued to fall, and the hedgehog found himself memorized by the water rings in the lake. They seemed so mysterious to him, for they never seemed to end-to cease. Breathing in the fresh air, he had to admit that the smell of rain wasn't as bad as being wet. But before he could run through more of his thoughts, he saw, in the corner of his eye, a pink hedgehog walking towards him.

Getting up from his seat, he whirled around and grinned when he saw Amy, in the flesh. Amy, seeing him herself, let out a slight squeal, and she ran up into his open arms, tears instantly falling, but the rain managed to cover them up. Wrapping her arms around the cobalt hedgehog's neck, she buried her muzzle into his chest, while allowing him to hold her, and every now and then kiss the top of her head. Lifting her face up, the blue hedgehog chuckled warmly at the sight of her tears cascading down her worn face, and, with his thumb he wiped them away. Giggling from pure joy, Amy stared into the eyes of her true love, almost starting a new wave of tears of seeing his own eyes meet hers; the first time in a week.

"Sonic…" she knew she sounded cliché, but she couldn't help saying his name, for she knew she wasn't going to get in trouble, like she might've back at home. The blue hedgehog merely smiled back at her, his hands cupping her face. He felt overwhelmed all of a sudden, and for once he felt like he had to sit down. But his legs wouldn't allow it, and the two hedgehogs continued standing, the rain falling down their backs in a relaxed manner, until, rather suddenly, Sonic leaned down and kissed her.

Amy went weak.

Slowly, Sonic broke away, and he appeared in a trance as he pecked her lips once, before sighing contently and pulling her closer, wanting to know that she was still with him, and that nothing could separate them.

"I missed you." Her words were muffled from her paroxysm of crying earlier, and the fact that her muzzle was again in his chest didn't help, but Sonic still managed to hear her.

"I did too," was all he managed to say, but neither he nor Amy cared that his words were numbered. They stood like this for what seemed like hours, until Amy broke away and looked up at Sonic, who smiled at her before kissing her nose. Amy giggled and, taking his hand led him back to the rock where Sonic had been, and the two sat down.

"I don't think I could've lasted much longer," Amy murmured, snuggling into him once again.

"What's it like, living there?" Sonic questioned, not wanting to say that he missed her over and over, for the short time they did have together wouldn't last forever. Amy sighed sadly.

"It's alright I guess, when I don't think about you," she answered truthfully. "Which is rare." Sonic chuckled softly, breathing in her scent along with the rains', realizing, that the two fragrances seemed to mix well. "Jamie helps me through it. You know. She's so wild and crazy and happy all the time…" Sonic nodded his reply. "Mom's alright, but she seems just as depressed as I am." The pink hedgehog looked back up at Sonic, her confused look speaking levels.

"Maybe there's something going on with her and Howard," Sonic suggested, blinking.

"Yeah, I think that's what's going on, actually," Amy replied, leaning against the blue hedgehog as she watched the rain fall. "Every time Howard calls, she either doesn't pick up, or she doesn't speak to him for more than five minutes." Amy shook her head with despair. "I'm afraid I couldn't have found my family at a worse time. It sounds like Howard's never home for them, and that I coming just brought out bitter emotions in all of them, even Jamie. She refuses to call Howard 'Daddy' anymore, which at her age, apparently, is a big deal." Amy fell silent then, having said all she felt she needed to say, and the two hedgehogs sat there, quietly, glad to be with each other, if only for a short time. The rain pursued on, never showing any signs of stopping.

"You know I love you, right?" Sonic suddenly asked, and he looked down at Amy, his eyes showing fear. Amy laughed and hugged him closer to herself.

"Of course I know that," she quipped. "I love you too." Sonic brightened. "And nothing's going to break our love, right?"

"Right," the cobalt hedgehog answered. "Except, the rain might make us separate faster if we don't get out of it." He grinned.

"Oh, what were you thinking?" Amy questioned, smirking along with him. Sonic appeared to ponder her question before he answered,

"Somewhere on the other side of the world. I don't know where."

"Sounds lovely," Amy whispered, her eyes shining, as Sonic picked her up bridal style. Again, the pink hedgehog snuggled into him, and Sonic took off, the wind being their guide.

_Steeaaalll it._

_

* * *

_"What do you mean, 'she's not here'?" The red hedgehog's voice was thin, to the breaking point of exhaustion and frustration. Leaning against the door frame between the kitchen and dining room, the male appeared very intimating.

"I mean, she left. And a while ago, too," a female voice answered, as she pulled some bread from the oven. Steam rose from the tiny rolls, making her mouth water. The red hedgehog moved from his spot by the entryway, and stood behind his wife, sighing wearily as he put a hand on her shoulder. The female turned to him slightly, looking bored with the conversation.

"Barbara," he breathed, and he ran a hand through his quills. "I'm tired of all this. Why can't you just get over what ever I did-?"

''What ever you did?'" Barbara hissed, as she pushed him aside, and set the rolls on the awaiting table, which was set with fancy china. Jamie, in the living room, looked up from her book, and appeared to shrink away into the couch. "Howard, 'what ever you did' is bigger than you're allowing it to be!"

"Well, then what did I do?" the hedgehog snapped, raising his arms in anger above his head.

"Everything, Howard," Barbara ridiculed. "For one, you've ruined my daughter's life."

"Well, she's my daughter too, isn't she?" Howard growled. He impatiently tapped his fingers on the table as he watched her travel back into the kitchen to get the salad.

"No, she is _not _your daughter," she said. "You're not treating her right. Or, any of us right, for that matter."

"I treat all three of you just fine!" Howard shouted, slamming his fist on the table. Jamie shuddered, by now buried in the couch's cushions. "Do you know how hard my working days are? Probably not, or you wouldn't be scolding me! My job is not a sinecure; no business job is or ever will be. My job provides you and Jamie and now Amy anything you could ever want!"

"No, Howard," she retorted, slamming the salad down on the table. A few leaves went flying out of the bowl. "You have _not _provided everything we need. Work shouldn't be your life-"

"It has to be, if you and Jamie are to have a life."

"We have a life!" she yelled, turning to him and poking him in the chest. "We have a life in which you're never around! Where I'm a single mother two-thirds of a year! Where Jamie, on "Bring your Father to School Day" is left looking like an idiot to every other child, and her father's actually still supposedly at home!"

"What, you want me to quit my job then?" he roared. "You want me to not give us any money?"

"Oh, well now that you've _finally _caught on," Barbara hissed, glaring at him, "it's too late. It wouldn't help if you were home now or not."

"Why's that?" Howard whispered bitterly.

"Because," she answered softly, and she began walking away. "I don't love you anymore."

At this, the red hedgehog had nothing to say, and he turned away, pain etching into his heart. He knew she wasn't kidding at this point. Or, at least, she was doing a pretty good job at convincing both of them over the fact. Sighing sadly, he forced himself to stay strong and to not break down. Looking into the living room, he wasn't surprised when he didn't spot Jamie, for this happened at every argument.

'_Every argument…'_ He suddenly wondered how frequent arguments had been before Amy had arrived. Shaking his head, he realized that he couldn't count the amount, and he was only vaguely aware of hearing the front door open.

Slowly, he broke out of his trance, and recognized Amy's voice. With a determined frown he headed to the front door, and roughly pushed Amy aside, to find himself face to face with Sonic the Hedgehog, looking like he was about to die right there at the very sight of him.

"Erm, Howard," the shocked hedgehog muttered, and he looked down, avoiding Amy's scared eyes. "I was just, you know, bringing her on home an' well…"

"Tomorrow," the red hedgehog whispered. He couldn't keep his voice from cracking. The very thought that Barbara had given up… "Tomorrow, you are to show me and Amy, since she wants to go so bad, this base thing that you were in two years ago." The blue hedgehog blinked, surprised.

"Tomorrow?" he echoed, looking back up. "But the media's all set for a week from now."

"Who cares about the dang media?" Howard hissed. "You want to see your _girlfriend _a week from now, or tomorrow?" Sonic's eyes grew wide, and he looked back at Amy, smiling briefly before he answered,

"What time do you want me to take ya?" There was a genuine twinkle in his eyes as he spoke.

"Nine in the morning, I don't care," Howard snapped, and he moved to close the door.

"Thank you, Howard," Sonic gasped, but the red hedgehog only nodded before shutting the door on the blue hedgehog. Amy looked up at the red hedgehog, surprise written all over her face. Looking around the room, she was also surprised to see Jamie peeking from behind the couch, her mother not meeting anyone's eyes, and Howard, looking like he was about to keel over.

"Wha-" she started, but Howard raised a quivering hand, requesting silence.

"Don't," he warned, and he looked down at the pink hedgehog in front of him. For the first time since she had meant her step-father, Amy felt concern for him. She didn't like the looks on anyone's faces right now. "Just, don't say anything. I'm going for a walk." And with that, the red hedgehog walked around the stunned young adult, opened the door, and left the house in a stone-cold silence.


	12. Surpise

List: Rugtugba, Lupus Silvae, Vulpus Griseus, Rachel-1994, Sonic5521!

Thanks, loyal reviewers! Sorry it took a while to update (heh heh) but the length of this chapter should make up for the wait. Anyway, onwards, march!

* * *

Chapter 12

Surprise...

The knock was hesitant, the blue hedgehog himself could tell, even though he was the one who had his fist against the wooden door. Scanning the area nervously, he bit his lip, praying silently that everything would go well today; that nothing worse would happen; that he would finally get Amy back.

"_How many chaos emeralds?" Sonic breathed, feeling a headache coming on. Tails shifted nervously next to Cream, who sat by him, and Knuckles focused his gaze on the fan by the door, the only cold air in the room._

"_Three," the echidna spoke softly, looking tired and ashamed, but really, he was more than that. A small cut was on his bruised muzzle, and his left ear looked singed. From his chest down he was covered in dust from smoke, making the room smell like dull cigarettes. "Three emeralds," Knuckles repeated, focusing his gaze on the dumbstruck hedgehog. _

"_Well, why didn't you fight for 'em?" Sonic questioned, sounding not at all pleased. "It's your job, Knux."_

"_I know!" the echidna yelled angrily. Cream sank into her chair, reaching for the comfort of Tails' hand. Finding it, she wasn't surprised when the fox spoke._

"_Calm down, Knuckles and Sonic. It could've happened to any of us." _

"_Well, if he's such a good guardian, why couldn't he keep the emeralds safe?" Sonic shot back, a look of panic in his eyes. How had the emeralds managed to be stolen, and three of them? That was four of them now, in the span of a week! A silence filled the room for a minute, allowing hedgehog and echidna to cool down. _

"I'll get it!" Sonic heard vaguely, and the door was soon opened by Jamie, who smiled sadly up at the visitor. "Wait here," she murmured, and she was gone. Sighing to himself, the blue hedgehog leaned back and forth on his toes, anxiety running through his blood stream. He didn't have all day.

"_Well, I say we get going," Knuckles stated, standing. "We need to find them. Cream and Tails, you go east and search for any clues. Sonic, you go-"_

"_I'm busy today, Knuckles," Sonic interrupted, and he sat up tall in his chair. The echidna sent him a look, begging for an explanation, and Sonic sighed. "I'm gonna try an' get Amy back this afternoon," the hedgehog filled in. "I got Howard, her step-dad to come and see the base with me. Who knows…I might be able to convince him." Red lowered his eyes at blue, resisting the urge to start a fight in front of Cream and Tails. _

"_Sonic…" He tried to sound as gentle as he could. "We all know how much you care for her and how much you want her back, but…"_

'_Oh, you have no idea,' the hedgehog thought in his mind. _

"_We don't have time. Sonic, it's either the world's potential safety, or getting Amy back…You don't want to make another mistake." The cobalt hedgehog's blood pressure rose, but he forced himself to sound calm._

"_The world will be just fine, for one more day, Knux," Sonic explained. His eyes filled with stubborn intents. A rare sight, but when seen, anyone who knew Sonic knew they'd loose any argument. Knuckles stared at the hedgehog in front of him, wanting so desperately to knock some sense into the thick blue head, but when he looked down at Tails and Cream looking for support, he knew what he had to answer._

"_You're the leader," the echidna muttered, and he turned away from the hedgehog he knew would be smirking by now. _

Seeing her, even though it had only been last night when he had said goodbye to her, made his heart skip a few beats, but he continued to stand tall, and only winked at her once, when Howard wasn't looking. Amy blushed behind her step-father's broad shoulders, pretending not to have noticed anything from the blue blur in front of her, when Howard turned to the inside of his home, his intensions being to call a quick goodbye to the other family members.

"Bye, Dad!" Jamie called. There was nothing from Barbara, who watched her husband leave by Jamie's side. Howard winced.

Sonic noticed.

"_I'll be back as soon as I can," Sonic promised to the team, his eyes now full of promise. Knuckles avoided eye contact, while Cream nodded her head, her trust being completely in the blue hedgehog._

"_Let us know if you happen to see anything fishy," Tails voiced for all of them, and he threw a walkie-talkie at Sonic, who caught it with grace. Glancing down at the device only momentarily, Sonic nodded, and then was out of Tails' small home, leaving the three other team mates to look at each other with uncertainty. _

"_He should be more concerned," Knuckles fretted, and the other two nodded solemnly. They agreed. _

"How far away is this base thing?" Howard gruffly asked, forcing Sonic out of his daydreams. The hedgehog shrugged, replying quickly afterwards,

"A ways. Hope you're prepared to be back in the early evening at the earliest." Howard grumbled to himself angrily as he opened the garage located by his home, where he kept his hover car and air plane. Sonic nodded towards the plane.

"You'll need it," was all he said, and he tried to appear patient as Howard and Amy entered the plane. "Just follow me as I run," he called, and the red hedgehog closed the door to the plane. Starting the engine, Howard sighed to himself, avoiding Amy's confused gaze. He knew she still didn't know what had happened between him and Barbara last night, unless Jamie had spilled the beans.

Right now, he didn't want her knowing anyway.

It wasn't long before the two were in the air, and Amy smiled in spite of herself, for she hadn't been in a plane for a good month, having not gone anywhere with Tails in some time. Glancing cautiously at her, Howard smiled sadly, glad to see her happy, for once, in his presence.

'_Maybe this was all a mistake,' _the red hedgehog thought, rubbing his aching head and wishing the pain away. He opened his eyes enough to follow the blue streak down on the ground, but not enough to need sunglasses.

"What happened last night, Howard?" The red hedgehog instantly turned to the pink hedgehog speaking to him, surprised by hearing her voice. She blinked, and he knew she wanted an explanation, but he didn't want to explain anything right now.

"I just changed my mind, is all," he half lied. Amy frowned at him, a disappointed frown, not an angry one, but she didn't mention it again. Howard was glad.

* * *

"_It said, 'Stteeaalll it'. And in a spooky voice, too," _Knuckles had explained. Sonic shook his head in frustration, resisting the urge to punch the air in front of him, for fear of confusing Howard above him. Or better yet, making him think the blue hedgehog was unworthy of Amy if he was throwing a tantrum. Concern for the well being of the planet was indeed making him fearful, and he was already nervous for going back to the base today. It didn't help that the base was where he had first heard "Steal it." If Knuckles had heard it, and from "a formation of firefly like things" as he had described it, than Sonic had reason to wonder…

Were the fireflies from the base somehow connected to the emeralds' disappearance?

Hours and hours went by, and the cobalt hedgehog constantly glanced at the sky, searching for a familiar streak of clouds following a small dot, which indicated Howard's plane that still followed him. Amy was in there as well, Sonic knew. Was she doing okay? Was Howard lecturing her, or giving her the silent treatment? The blue hedgehog felt helpless as he continued running, wishing he and the plane's speed could increase so that they could reach the base in record time. Why did Eggman have to make the base so far from the city?

Finally, five hours since the trip had all started, Howard lost the blue streak in a forest, and he slowly landed the plane. Once on the ground, he waited a second, wondering again if this had all been worth it. Looking over at Amy, he nodded to her, and she smiled briefly before opening the plane's door and jumped out. Howard followed close behind her, and then he saw Sonic, in the flesh and no longer a blue streak, two yards from the two of them. Smiling only for a second, the blue hedgehog motioned with his hand.

"We need to go this way," he quipped, and the blue hedgehog started off on a slow trot. Sighing, the red hedgehog followed closely behind the cobalt hedgehog, Amy trailing behind the two of them.

"So…" Howard was sick of the silence. "This better be worth those five agonizing hours in that plane," he complained. He was surprised when Sonic let out a short laugh.

"Who knows if it was worth it," Sonic answered, not turning around to look at Howard. "I myself wish I could've come up with another way to convince you to let me be with Amy."

"Well, why didn't you, if you're so smart?" Howard demanded, and Sonic sighed.

"When did I ever say I was smart? Talented, handsome, and a speed-demon, maybe, but smart? Ha. What a bunch of bologna." Howard rolled his eyes, and Amy gave Sonic a warning look. The blue hedgehog shrugged, and turned back in front of him.

Ten minutes of daunting silence later, Sonic suddenly stopped in his tracks, and looked around. Cocking her head slightly, Amy gazed around herself, looking for some secret underground entrance. Sonic beat her to it, however.

"Found it!" His voice sounded slightly forced to be cheerful, and Amy noticed the hedgehog's hands shaking slightly as he stepped on a patch of dirt and grass, where a vague outline of an "X" sat. She wanted to ask if Sonic was alright with this; if he could handle facing his enemy again. Sensing her concerns, Sonic turned to her, his facing saying everything.

No.

But the blue hedgehog didn't seem at all surprised when the ground beneath his feet suddenly began to shake, and he jumped back up to solid ground, unfazed, as he reached toward the shaking ground, and before it could either shoot down or up, the blue hedgehog had it in his grip, and with all his strength, he threw the chunk of ground away from the three of them. Surprised, it only took Amy a second to realize why Sonic had moved the chunk of rocks and grass. Underneath where the chunk of dirt had been, sat a make-shift elevator, obviously done by Tails. Amy blinked, confused, and she turned to Sonic, momentarily forgetting the promise she had made to Howard this morning to not talk to Sonic on the trip if at all necessary.

"When did Tails make this with you?" she questioned, her head still cocked in mild confusion.

"Few days ago," Sonic answered, avoiding Amy's eyes, for he didn't want to get lost in them quite yet. Jumping down on the wooden elevator, Sonic glanced up at Howard, forcing himself to sound calmer than he felt. "Well, you gettin' on?" Howard nodded numbly, wishing he could just go home. He wanted to drag Amy away from here, take her back home, where they both belonged.

_I don't love you anymore._

He winced at the memory, and was again, noticed by Sonic, but the blue hedgehog for once kept his mouth shut, and he watched as Howard and Amy cautiously climbed into the make-shift elevator. Once ready, Howard clung to the gate of the elevator and nodded at the blue hedgehog in front of him, who slowly began to pull the rope down.

"Don't dilly-dally with Amy if you do end up getting her back," Knuckles had warned, his voice being stern. "Who knows how long the world has until…well, you know."

The rope creaked uncertainly as Sonic continued pulling them all down, and he suddenly wished for three things. One, that he could have Amy now, obviously. Two, that he didn't _need _to go back to the base. And three, that Amy and Howard didn't need an elevator to get down to the base. Because of the elevator, Sonic knew the trip down could last a long, long time.

Slowly the world around them became darker and darker, and nervously, Howard and Amy turned their head lights that rested on their heads on, Howard for once being glad of Sonic's advice to bring some kind of light for the underground world. Looking back up, Howard was surprised to not even see a small comforting light, but only deep blackness. He shivered, realizing how cold it had suddenly gotten, and he wished he had brought some kind of jacket. Glancing over at Amy, he wasn't surprised to see her looking nervous as well, staring at Sonic in a helpless way. The blue hedgehog stared silently back, his face doing a good job at hiding his real emotions. But the red hedgehog had a feeling Amy could read through him, for she suddenly reached out her hand and wrapped it in the blue hedgehog's free hand, who gripped it tightly, his face looking strained for a second. Howard turned away, pretending to not have noticed.

Finally, with a sudden lurch, the elevator stopped, and Howard caught his footing before he could fall, and he looked over to Sonic for direction. He heard the blue hedgehog take a shallow deep breath, and than the door on the wooden machine was opened, and darkness consumed.

Howard hadn't known what he had been expecting, but it certainly hadn't been this. Maybe he had expected electric lights, rather than nothing. Maybe he had been expecting a golden road, not a pathway of dirt. Maybe he had expected machines everywhere.

But all he saw was darkness, and, with his light, brown walls, and brown dirt.

Lovely.

"Come on," Sonic called, waving his hand through the darkness. Howard barely noticed the other hand still with Amy's. "We got some ground to cover, and I don't know 'bout you, but I don't want to be in here long." And with that, the blue hedgehog started walking into the deafening darkness.

Taking a step, Howard gasped when suddenly, light other than his head light illuminated through the dark, and Sonic stopped mid-step, his quills rising in defense.

"_What did it look like?" Sonic sighed, suddenly feeling exhausted. He ignored Tails and Creams' looks of concern. _

"_They, Sonic. It was obviously more than one thing that combined," Knuckles replied. 'Well duh', Sonic's face read, and Knuckles quickly continued. "They looked like fireflies or something individually. But once together, they looked like…a monster or something. It was like a formation of fireflies."_

"Avoid them," Sonic whispered demandingly. "I don't think we can trust 'em." He side stepped away from a large group of fireflies, intending to get out of the room as quickly as possible, but Howard and Amy seemed to have other ideas.

"What are these things?" Howard questioned, sticking a hand out towards them, and smiling slightly when the bugs scattered.

"Fireflies," Sonic answered hoarsely. "Now come on. They're not part of this tour." Reluctantly, the two hedgehogs followed behind Sonic, but their gazes remained on the lighting bugs until a door was opened by Sonic, and they walked through, attempting to close the door behind them, but the door was stubborn unbeknownst to them all.

"_Sttteeaall it…"_

The blue hedgehog rushed away from the sound, ignoring Howard and Amy's curious looks and few questions. He didn't want to go into that conversation, for he didn't really have any answers himself.

They continued walking in silence for a minute, each thinking their own thoughts as they listened to water dripping from the ceiling somewhere further along in the base. Suddenly nervous, Amy clutched Sonic's free arm, and the blue hedgehog smiled, as old but warm memories of Amy jumping him swarmed into his brain. He remembered the picture he had brought to this base two years ago all of a sudden, and this only made him smile all the more, until just as suddenly, they reached their first stop.

The laser room.

Unpleasant memories replaced those of Amy based thoughts, and the blue hedgehog shivered and closed his eyes, forcing himself not to run away. He remembered screaming in the room, he remembered seeing blood, he remembered the bright white light that came from the machine, and how it had aimed at him. He remembered Eggman's cruel laughter, he remembered the looks of anxiety from the robots, he remembered feeling completely numb, he remembered; he remembered.

Amy's grip tightened and the blue hedgehog opened his eyes slowly, only to see Amy staring right at him, her look showing concern and love.

'Can you do this?' her face asked. Sonic nodded dumbly, and turned to Howard.

"This was the laser room," Sonic explained, forcing himself to sound confident. Howard nodded, looking a tad bored, and the blue hedgehog resisted biting his lip as he opened the door.

Again, the first thing the red hedgehog noticed was how dark the room was. Stepping into it cautiously, a musky scent hit him, and he crinkled his nose, scanning the almost empty room apprehensively. Finding one side of the room, he let out a sharp intake when he saw a massive, gray machine, a large laser connected to it. He could vaguely make out controls behind the machine, and he slowly walked towards it, looking up at the looming giant, the machine that he had heard had changed Sonic the Hedgehog for the worse.

"The laser," Howard murmured softly to himself, and he didn't need to turn around to know that Sonic was nodding. Letting go of her love's hand, Amy stepped forward as well, tears swimming in her eyes.

_He did this for me…he did this for me…_

It was even scarier and life threatening when seeing it in person, and the pink hedgehog rushed back to Sonic's side, the tears falling, her breath catching in her throat, but she made no sound as Sonic hesitantly hugged her, glad to know that Howard wasn't facing them at the moment.

"How many times a week did you…you know, come here?" Howard's voice was soft, curious, and it sounded urgent.

"It depended," the cobalt hedgehog replied. "Usually three times a week. Give or take." Howard nodded numbly. Seeing the laser, covered in spider webs and dust, made him want to take back everything he had ever said about the cobalt hedgehog. He suddenly wondered, if he had been right to separate Amy from him, when this was only part of what he had sacrificed, just to keep her _safe_.

'_What's more important?' _Howard questioned himself. _'The safety of those you love, or the safety of a nation that's mocked you in the past, that's lost part of their trust in you, that will always be corrupted and evil and in danger, no matter what you do?_

'_What would I have done?'_

He turned to the blue hedgehog, his face masked. Maybe he could let his daughter be with Sonic. It wouldn't hurt to give it a try, now would it?

"_Stteeaall it…"_

Sonic stiffened and cocked his head up, temporarily focusing everything on the voice-like wind that had sounded closer than ever. A silence fell in the room, like a black curtain shutting everything out.

"_Stteeaall it…"_

It sounded closer, and Sonic broke free of his thoughts, staring at Howard urgently and squeezing Amy's shoulder just enough to make her look up at him.

"We need to move onto the next room," he started, and he quickly turned to leave. Howard nodded, and turned back to the laser for a second, his thoughts a weltered mess.

Slowly, he walked forward and out of the room, following the two young hedgehogs, again, hardly noticing Amy clinging to Sonic's arm, which hung limply at his side for Amy's benefit.

A brief imagine popped into Howard's mind as he watched Sonic move down the dark corridors, a picture of Sonic limping, bloodied up, the arm Amy now held hanging limply at the hedgehog's side, not for Amy to cry on, but for Amy to _live_.

They reached another door suddenly, and Howard pulled himself out of his thoughts similarly to how Sonic had earlier, and Sonic stopped in front of the door.

"What's this room?" Howard heard Amy question, and he didn't bother to remind her of her promise to him earlier that morning.

"My room," the hedgehog answered non-chantingly, and they entered the room.

It took Howard only a second to feel the cold air hit him and to notice the dust and spider webs. Like everywhere else in the base, there was no light in the room; only a small cell which the red hedgehog guessed the blue hedgehog had once slept in.

For six months for that matter.

"Sonic?" His voice sounded hurt, unstable, but he waited patiently for the hedgehog to turn slightly and face the red hedgehog. He opened his mouth to say something, but no words came, and Sonic sighed. A silence filled the room for a while, and Howard faced the room again, and he wondered what it would be like to _sleep_ in this room- if you could call it a room- day in and day out, for _six_ months. "Sonic?" His voice wasn't quivering as much anymore he realized, and when he felt Sonic's stare at his back, he continued. "Why'd you do this?"

A sigh, and than a shuffling of feet. Howard continued to wait patiently, even though he knew he already had the answer.

Love.

Would he have done this to be able to keep Barbara, or Jamie alive?

'_Don't think that way,' _he scolded himself. _'You would if it was their lives at stake.'_ The red hedgehog looked down.

"There are times when I'll go against my own nature," Sonic started, and he looked down at Amy, who still clung to his arm, her tears now dry, but her heart still aching. He reached down a hand and stroked her cheek softly; glad that Howard didn't seem to be noticing or wasn't caring what was going on with him and Amy at the moment. "There are times when I'll be calm, and when I'll think. But, this will only happen _after_ I've been broken, and _love_ messes with my common sense..." The blue hedgehog stopped there, not knowing what else to say. It would have been so much easier to just mutter 'It was love' to Howard, but if the red hedgehog hadn't gotten that through his thick skull yet even after Sonic had said that a million times to the media and to the red hedgehog himself, Sonic didn't think those three words would suffice. So, he had spread out his three words into two sentences. He almost smirked at this thought, but he knew now was not the time, and he waited for Howard to say something, anything.

Howard wanted to argue; he had thought for two years, two long, agonizing years that Sonic was no longer someone to look up to. But now, seeing the laser, seeing the blue hedgehog's living conditions those few years back, and for his daughter-whether blood related or not- made him bite his tongue. Who was he, a mere step-father, to butt into Amy's business? Who was he, to say Sonic had been evil and unjust, for saving someone?

"_Stteeaall it…"_

"Alright, that voice is starting to creep me out," Amy whispered, leaning into Sonic. A warmth filled the cobalt hedgehog, and he felt a _need_ to protect her more than he ever had.

"Me too," he said, trying to reassure her. "We should go before we all go insane." It was meant as a joke, but suddenly Howard wondered if it was possible to go insane down here.

Suddenly, at the door, were the fireflies, and Sonic raised his quills in defense, preparing himself for a fight. Slowly, he watched as the fireflies formed a formation, and then he heard it.

"_Stteeaall it."_

And then they attacked.

It all happened too fast, even for Sonic. One second Amy was by his side, the next, she was struggling against the fireflies as they began dragging her away, and Sonic was only vaguely aware of feeling a rush of anger overwhelm his senses as he ran after her, his lips saying her name with panic, her lips echoing his calls. A second formation suddenly appeared, and the fireflies blinked warily at the hedgehog before they attacked him as well. Yelling, the blue hedgehog raised his arms to protect his face from the fireflies' flames, and instantly he felt his hands burning. Ignoring the pain, he shot through them, relieved to see the formation break apart, if only for a second before it returned and chased after the cobalt hedgehog, who by now had spotted the first formation that had dragged Amy off.

Tears stung her eyes as the fireflies examined her, in search of what, the pink hedgehog knew not. All she knew was that she was in danger, and that calling Sonic's name should end up helping her. Suddenly, she saw the blue hedgehog, and she let out a cry mixed with pain and joy.

Feeling a burn at her hip, she yelped, and then, a white light appeared in the once dark cave, and it spread until the whole room was consumed in white nothingness, except seven other lights stood out. One light was yellow, one was purple, another blue, and so on, so forth, all in the shape of emeralds.

"Chaos control," Sonic murmured to himself, and it all made sense.

A startled yell came from across the base, and Sonic recognized it as Howard's. Panicked, the blue hedgehog tried seeing through the undying light to find Amy, but before he could, the walls and ground began to shake violently, and the cobalt hedgehog lost his balance and fell to the ground.

"_Attack! Attack! Attack!" _the voice exclaimed, and Sonic winced. Screaming, Amy tried to get out of the fireflies' grasp, but they clung to her like her love for Sonic, and she cried all the more, yelling out Sonic's name, wishing the bright light was gone, wishing life could return to the way it had been a month ago.

The walls shook all the more, a crash was heard, rocks fell from above, screams and yells filled the once silent halls, and then the world went dark.

"No…" the blue hedgehog whispered. "Amy…"


	13. To Find Hope

Yep, I'm alive!

List: Rachel-1994, AmyFan111, GalexiatheChao, Lupus Silvae, Sonic5521, Vulpus Griseus, Rugtugba, and Mike Prower the Fox!

Thanks guys! And I am SO sorry it took so long to update. My life just got ahead of me I suppose, and this chapter was harder to write than I once thought it'd be. The ending I still don't like too well, but I didn't know what else to write so…but it's a long chapter, so it should suffice for you people. Anyway, onwards, march!

* * *

Chapter 13

To Find Hope

"_Yes…" the man murmured under his breath, and he sat up tall in his chair. "Yes, yes, I did it! It's complete!" Laughing, the fat man felt like dancing, but he stopped himself from getting up out of his chair. He wasn't in the mood to feel light headed. Not now. Smirking underneath his blue spectacles, he listened to the quietness of the base for a minute, soaking in his accomplishment. This would stop the hedgehog someday, he figured. The world didn't need to be controlled by him in the flesh. He was sure someone else would someday take his place. And now he knew for sure, with his complete project, that is. _

_With shaking hands, the genies picked up the black ball in front of him, examining it with eyes of a scientist. _

"_Say it," the man demanded, although he knew the orb wouldn't listen to his voice command. No, if it listened to his voice for commands, the orb would end up being useless in a few months. So, as patiently as he could, he waited for the black orb to connect._

'_Sttteeeaaalll it,' a voice spoke softly, sounding very much like the wind._

_ And the man grinned. _

_

* * *

_'_Where's Amy?'_

'_Gone, you blockhead'._

'_Gone? Like, forever?'_

'_I don't know. That's for you to find out.'_

'_Now?'_

'_Yes.'_

His heart thumped in his chest louder than ever, even louder than his agonizing scream, and he slammed his fists into the rumble in front of him, shaking his head from side to side. Now he had done it. Amy was missing, there wasn't any light down here, and Howard was also missing.

Dumb luck.

'_I need a plan,'_ the blue hedgehog thought to himself, and he stood up from the rocks, listening vaguely to them shift and hit the ground he had once been sitting on.

"Howard?" he called, hoping to find the red hedgehog, and quickly too. He needed to get out of here and find Amy, who had somehow been carried away by the fireflies. He himself wasn't sure where she had gone, but he knew this much: she wasn't in the base any longer. "Howard?" he called again, his voice sounding anxious. Slowly, he felt his way across the hallway of the base, listening for even a soft reply from the red hedgehog, but he heard nothing but the daunting echo of silence that filled the base. Crawling over a pile of rocks, the hedgehog let out a yell of surprise when he heard someone- or something moan right underneath him. Without wasting another second except to turn on the light on his forehead to be able to see, the hedgehog began to dig through the pile of dirt and rocks, until he reached someone.

It was Howard.

"Oh man…" Sonic muttered, and he anxiously continued digging, suddenly fearing the red hedgehog's life. Blood covered his face as did bruises, and his right leg was angled in such a way that even Sonic didn't feel comfortable making Howard move it. "I'll have to carry him outta here," the hedgehog mused to himself, not really liking the idea, but seeing no way around it. Brushing some stray dirt from the old man's arm, Sonic carefully set him into a sitting position.

"Howard? Hey, wake up, you're gonna be okay…" His voice lost any traces of hope, and Sonic, sweating, searched for a pulse. What if he had accidently killed Amy's step father? He'd never be able to live it down; people would think he had planned the murder, and even then, Sonic would never be able to forgive himself.

The people.

Were they being attacked right now? Had that robot-or whatever it was that had taken Amy needed the chaos emeralds to be able to destroy the city?

The pulse was faint, hardly there, but Sonic felt it, and he let out a breath he didn't know he was holding. Howard was still alive. Now, all the blue hedgehog had to do, was keep Howard safe, while he went and saved the rest of the world, which he now knew without a doubt, was being attacked. Why else would something or someone need the seven gems?

"Alrighty, Howard," Sonic quipped, trying to sound sure of himself, if only to make himself feel confident. "Let's get ourselves out of here." And with those words, the hedgehog slowly began to drag the unconscious hedgehog towards the entrance of the base.

* * *

'_Where's Sonic?'_

'_With Amy.'_

'_Amy? He's always with her.'_

'_I know.'_

'_Well then, do something about it.'_

'_Can't. Sorry.'_

He wanted to cry.

This shouldn't have happened. He had been prepared for this, just incase it would happen. And yet, here he was, another emerald down, and Sonic wasn't here to help.

'_Dang you, Howard,' _the fox thought bitterly to himself, as he looked at the burning home in front of him, his face stoic, his heart burning with unseen rage. _'If it hadn't been for you, Sonic would be here. Dang you. Dang, dang, dang…'_

But he knew his mental cursing wouldn't solve anything, and the fox sighed, wiping away some soot underneath his eye, or at least that's what he decided to call it.

"Tails!" Recognizing Cream's voice, he turned and was immediately pummeled by the young rabbit, who cried in his arms. Knuckles followed behind the bunny, his face showing only hints of anxiety, but it was apparent that the echidna was thinking exactly what Tails was thinking right now.

Sonic needed to get here. Now.

"Have you tried the walkie-talkie?" Knuckles asked the fox. Tails looked up from Cream, and gently pulled away from her, pretending that his burning house wasn't important. Cream sniffled sadly, her heart filled with sadness for her best friend, for now because of a dumb emerald, his home was gone to the flames. And Sonic hadn't rescued it.

"Yeah, of course I tried it," Tails snapped back wearily. "I tried when I first saw those darn fireflies, I tried while they chased me with the emerald, I tried when they burned my house…" He stopped there, his eyes filling with tears, his heart, going to smoke, for fires never lasted long within him. His home was gone now. The fireflies had burned it to the ground, similarly to how they had burnt Knuckles. Grunting impatiently, Knuckles looked back up to the small home himself.

"Well," the echidna said. "Looks like we got a war to deal with."

"Without Sonic?" Cream murmured. "And Amy?"

"We've done it without Sonic before, we can do it again," Knuckles stated, and he looked away from the smoke-covered home. "Let's go." Cream sighed and wiped away some stray tears, and followed behind the retreating echidna. Their destination: wherever the fireflies had gone off to.

* * *

She was tired of screaming. So she let the mass of fireflies-which now had grown into some giant monster with a massive black orb in the middle of it- carry her away from Sonic. She remembered vaguely hearing him call her name just before the walls had fallen in the base. But there had been no sound afterwards.

Whimpering softly, she wondered if he was okay, and if Howard was okay. Had they been buried by the base's walls? She didn't know. Closing her eyes, she let her tears fall, and she tried to pretend it was a month earlier, when she and Sonic were still together, still happy. When life had been wonderful.

A small fire from the firefly's wings fell onto her.

She blew it away.

Suddenly, she felt the firefly mass start to descend, and she opened blurry eyes to see that they had made it to the city. Sniffling once more, she realized she needed to worry about herself now. Sonic could take care of himself and Howard, she knew. And she didn't need Sonic to save her every time.

It had been a while since she had summoned her hammer, and at first she didn't think she'd be successful in retrieving it. But suddenly, the heavy piko-piko hammer was in her arms, and she smiled in spite of herself as she swung it for the first time in two weeks.

But the hammer never hit anything.

Instead, the fireflies as a group shifted position just enough to avoid the heavy pink hammer, and in the next instant a nearby skyscraper was on fire. People began to scream even louder than Amy thought was possible, and she squeezed her eyes shut, allowing tears to fall as she swung the hammer without aiming over and over again. She knew she wouldn't hit anything. But she continued anyway.

'_I don't wanna die.'_

'_You're going to, you know.'_

'_Sonic will come.'_

'_He might be dead, for all you know.'_

'_NO.'_

'_YES.'_

Another swing.

Another miss.

Suddenly, a plane engine could be heard up above the weeping rose, and she opened her eyes just enough to see a glimpse of the X-Tornado. Wearily, she smiled.

'_Tails is here now. I'll be alright.'_

Aiming below the flailing pink hedgehog, the young fox shot a dozen missiles down at the mass of fireflies, thinking they could penetrate the fireflies' skin, but all the missiles did was bounce off the creature and zoom directly towards Tails, who let out a small scream before skittering a few feet away, barely missing the explosion, which caused another fire on another building.

"What're we going to do now?" Cream asked from her seat located behind the fox. Tails sighed as he picked up his walkie-talkie.

"Sonic? Do you copy?"

No answer.

He waited a bit longer.

"Sonic, come in, Sonic."

Static.

He switched the channel.

"Knuckles, do you copy?"

"Yeah, I'm here," a gruff voice replied. "What can I do?"

"Try attacking that thing from down below," the fox replied, not knowing what else they could try. After all, they were all powerless without the chaos emeralds.

And without Sonic.

"I doubt it'll work," Knuckles replied skeptically. "If the missiles-"

"I know!" Tails barked. He was only a bit aware of sensing Cream cringe at his firm voice. But right now, he couldn't care about it. A fireball from the monster was suddenly launched at him, and he cut the conversation with Knuckles short as he barely missed the attack. "Just do it."

Down below, on ground level, Knuckles nodded silently, and, without warning, launched at the monster, his fists pointing directly at the large foot of the creature, his voice letting out a scream of rage. But he wasn't surprised when he was thrown back and zapped by the fireflies' power. A small fire crawled up his arm, and he yelled out in pain as he blew it away, hopefully for good.

'_Come on, Sonic. Where are you?'_

Another fireball was thrown, but this time, at the nearby buildings, and people were screaming again, confusing the four heroes.

And then, another idea formed.

"Tails, radio Knuckles, and tell him to attack the fireflies at the exact time you do," Cream ordered the fox. Confused by her suddenly firm voice, the fox turned to face her, his eyes questioning her. "Trust me on this," she murmured, and she rested her hand on his arm. It was warm, she realized. Sweaty even. "And if we're lucky, Amy'll swing her hammer at the right time, when we're distracting that…thing. I can't tell her to wait for our distraction; she'd never be able to hear me even if I screamed the idea to her. And what if the creature's intelligent and knows what I'd be telling her?" Tails smiled wearily at his friend.

"You know," he started, "sometimes I don't know what we'd do without you on the team." He squeezed her hand before turning back to the front, and pulling out his radio. Cream was glad he wasn't watching her as her whole face grew warm, and she pulled her hand back to herself slowly, smiling widely, even in the midst of the battle.

"Knuckles, this is Tails." The fox's voice brought Cream back, and she looked up. "Cream has a plan worth trying. We need to attack that thing at the exact same time, when Amy's about to swing her hammer, and while we're distracting it maybe it'll drop her."

"What if it doesn't work?" Knuckles questioned back. Sure, he knew it was worth trying, but he still had a bad feeling.

"We don't have many options, Knux," Tails stated, sounding bored. Which was a funny thought, considering that his plane was going in ever which direction since the creature had begun to throw multiple fireballs at the X-Tornado. "It's always worth a shot. You got any better ideas?"

The echidna did not.

"On the count of three," the red one said. Tails braced himself.

"One." Cream bit her lip and crossed her fingers.

"Two." Knuckles pulled out his shovel claws, having not gotten them out earlier, for what reason not even he knew.

"Three."

With a sudden momentum of speed, the red echidna lunged at the monster's large foot, and Tails pressed a red button in his plane, sending three dozen missiles at the monster just as it began burning a small home. Screaming with rage, Amy attacked the monster again with her hammer, ignoring her eyes sting, not only from tears, but the fire from the fireflies. She'd be lucky if she got out of here not only alive, but without a burn.

A siren was going off, she suddenly realized. And missiles that were supposed to hit this monster, or at least she assumed that had been their job, melted into the creature's skin just as she recognized someone's cry of pain from down below.

_'Sonic….we need you.'_

She swung her hammer madly.

_'Sonic…why'd this have to happen to us?'_

Her yellow skirt was on fire.

_'Would this have happened, if we hadn't gone back? If we had left the past alone?'_

Her shirt now was ablaze. But she saw little reason to fight it.

_'Sonic…?'_

Sonic was gone.

Otherwise, wouldn't he be here by now?

_'I love you. Come back.'_

The monster let out a roar, knocked down another building, and Amy dropped her hammer. Her last hope. Another rampage of missiles flew above her. But nothing came of them but ash.

_'Do you remember?'_

_ 'Remember what?'_

_ 'When you were but a child.'_

_ '…'_

_ 'Wouldn't it be nice…to go back?'_

_ '…Stop pretending. Death is the closest I can get to those years.'_

_ 'My point. Exactly.'_

The wind was suddenly in Amy's ears. She smiled amidst her pain. The memories of running free with Sonic were coming back to her. Her life was flashing ahead of her.

"Amy! I'm here!"

And now, she was hearing his voice. Bittersweet, she felt.

"Amy!"

She chuckled sadly, and opened her eyes, maybe for the last time. Through the blur of her tears, she looked down on the ground, twenty feet below, and there stood none other than Sonic.

Her hands began to burn. But she blew the fire out quickly, hope burning in her soul.

_'Sonic?'_

"Sonic?" she called out frantically. She reached for him, wishing for his warmth, and not the fire's. The X-Tornado was above her again, and this time, it was pouring water out the back. Cold, refreshing liquid bounced off the monster and onto Amy, and she used the few droplets to destroy the rest of the fire on her. Looking back down, she noticed that Sonic was not alone, but with her step-father, and the plane they had followed Sonic in.

Had this all really taken place today? Had she just seen the laser that had changed her love, a few hours ago?

More water was falling now, and the monster let out a roar of anger as it lunged at the Tornado. It wouldn't give up its power without a fight.

"Tails, do you copy?" Sonic questioned into his own radio. He was only vaguely aware of seeing Amy's mother and sister rush towards Howard and himself. He couldn't fully focus on any of them right now. It was because of his focus on Amy two years ago that had gotten him into this mess in the first place.

"Yeah, any more ideas?" he heard the fox ask back. "The water's not working, Sonic. It just absorbs the water and uses it against us!"

Knuckles decided to speak. "I told you it wouldn't work!" he snapped to the blue hedgehog. "If you had only gotten here sooner-"

"Nothing would've changed if I was here earlier," Sonic snapped. He nodded at Amy's family, before he dared get closer to the fire monster. "I'm powerless right now, can't you see? I'm no help!"

The heroes fell silent. Had Sonic really just told them he was powerless? Had he really just admitted defeat? It was not like Sonic to loose his head like this; to not have even the slightest ego edge to him during a battle. Something was wrong.

"But," Sonic continued, "we're still gonna fight. We're gonna fight like we always have, and we're going to win. But it won't be because of me."

"Than who, Sonic?" Knuckles muttered. "It's always been you that's saved us."

"No, it has not," Sonic replied sternly. "But, it will be because of me that we get what we need.

"We only really need the emeralds to win this battle, right? This monster will be powerless if we have them in our grasp. If you give me my ring, Tails, I might be able to propel myself forward into the monster, locate the emeralds, and save us all."

"What are you, crazy?" Knuckles yelled. "That'll mean the end of you!"

"I'm well aware, Knuckles," Sonic barked. Another building collapsed, and the hedgehog took the time to look around the city. If you could call it a city, anymore that is. Nothing was left of it, besides rubble, fire, and death. It was a future graveyard. But maybe, because of him, the hedgehog figured, it could be only _one _graveyard, out of a trillion.

"What other choices do we have?" Sonic asked no one in particular. "It's either we get the emeralds or we _all_ die. And I'm not going to let this planet down a second time!"

"You never did in the first place," Cream quietly told herself from behind Tails. But no one heard her.

"But what about Amy?" Tails asked quietly, his voice hardly being heard.

"She'll survive without me. She has before," Sonic replied, his voice portraying no emotion to any of them. Except Cream.

"I have another idea," she whispered. Again, no one heard her. Tails pressed another button, and Sonic's power ring shot out of the plane and towards the blue hero. "I have another idea," she tried again, speaking a little louder.

"Not now, Cream-" Tails started.

"Yes, now!" she cried back. Again, the rabbit managed to surprise the fox with her apparent boldness in her voice. He turned to her, and upon seeing her tears, knew she didn't like the current idea.

"Cream…"

"What about the fake emeralds?" she asked through her tears. "Don't we have some?" Tails blinked.

Why hadn't they thought of that before?

"Sonic! New plan, really, we got one more idea!" Tails screamed louder than necessary into the walkie-talkie. Sonic looked up from his thoughts and blinked.

"What?" His voice was husky with emotion. Tails tried not to notice.

"What about the fake chaos emeralds?"


	14. When Victory Soars

List: Mike Prower the Fox, Vulpus Griseus, GalexiatheChao, Lupus Silvae, AmyFan111, Sonic5521, and Rugtugba!

Thank you all soooo much for your reviews from the last chapter! They're so appreciated, and I don't think I'll ever get tired of opening my email and seeing reviews…Anyway, onwards, march!

* * *

Chapter 14

When Victory Soars

Two years earlier, Tails had taken a small portion of the power of the chaos emeralds, and had made seven, fake, emeralds. They were not nearly as powerful as the original seven. Their color was duller. They did not make Sonic completely super.

But what other choices did they have? The fake emeralds were better than a measly ring, weren't they?

He was nervous. Heck, he knew if anyone was to take his place, _they'd_ be nervous. But, he knew he could hide his thoughts better than others, so when Tails shot seven fake gems towards him, he didn't even blink. He was doing this for the better good, he figured. Maybe he'd get Howard to get off his case if he ended up saving the day. Maybe he'd be able to get Amy back.

_'If you don't die first.'_

_ 'Shut up.'_

"Sonic?" It was Tails. The blue hedgehog knew. But he pretended not to hear his brother's next words. "You know we all love you right? And that we won't let you die, even for the world?"

"Tails!" Knuckles snapped into the walkie-talkie. "It's either the world or Sonic! Which is more important?" Sonic listened to them bicker for a second.

_'What if I do die?'_

_ 'Aren't you ready to die?'_

_ '…Who is, when they haven't said goodbye?'_

"Guys, seriously!" Sonic barked. The fox and echidna stopped fighting and turned their attention to the blue hero. Sighing, the blue hedgehog turned his gaze to the seven blinking gems in front of him, and he closed his eyes. A sudden warmth rose inside his chest, but he realized quickly that it wasn't the same as turning super with the real gems. "Tell Amy I love her," he said softly. He didn't know if anyone heard him besides himself, but he did know that his sentence hadn't been necessary anyway.

Everyone knew he loved her.

When he opened his eyes again, he knew he was a light golden color, his eyes were a weak red, and that he was floating slightly in the air. Blinking, he shot towards a fireball that was shooting itself at an unaware building. Crashing into it, he wasn't prepared for the shock of pain that ran through his body as the fireball exploded.

_ 'I really am not super right now.'_

But he had still been able to destroy the fireball before it destroyed the building. With pain or not, he knew what he had to do.

With a quick burst of speed, the gold hedgehog lunged towards the fire monster, avoiding fireballs to preserve energy that hadn't already been lost, and he hit the creature with a crash, sending himself and the monster flying backwards. Stopping his own crash midair, the gold hedgehog panted softly to himself, ignoring the pain of not being fully super, and he again attacked the creature, which lay in a pile of rubble, still confused from the first attack. Seeing the golden hedgehog rushing towards it, the monster barely managed to stand and send three fireballs in the hedgehog's direction. Amy, who had been quiet up to this time, screamed angrily at the monster as she watched her love spiral backwards and hit a building, causing the skyscraper that had been hit to give in and collapse. With her anger came another hammer, and with her hammer, came, for the first time, a hit to the monster from her. Roaring, fire eyes turned to the pink hedgehog, its red eyes peering at her with mild amusement.

"You think you can win?"

It was the first time the monster had spoken, and Amy gasped, recoiling into herself as she let her second hammer fall below her. What sounded like an evil laugh escaped the monster's invisible mouth, and tears sprang to Amy's eyes.

_'Don't let me die. I don't want to go yet. I haven't said goodbye.'_

"Let go of her!" Sonic cried suddenly, and he shot himself back into the air, wincing at his pain. He hadn't wanted to get caught up with Amy's safety. Not now. He didn't have time for that.

But he had let himself get pulled back by her scream.

Again, the golden hedgehog attacked, but this time, he circled the monster midair over and over, his speed being too fast to calculate. Confused, the fire monster tried following the zooming hedgehog's path, but it didn't get far before it fell down, too dizzy and slow to catch _Super_ Sonic. Smirking despite everything, the golden hedgehog was only vaguely aware of his fur turning dimmer, and he rushed towards the enemy, took a breath for reassurance, and plunged into the fire monster's middle.

He tried not to think about the pain of being on fire everywhere on his body, as he frantically searched for the chaos emeralds, somewhere within the belly of this creature. A low roar from outside reached the hedgehog's burning ears, and he knew he didn't have much time to deal with before either the monster somehow shot him out of its body, or before the fire consumed him.

And then he saw seven lights, side by side, each a different color. They were in a circle, ten feet deeper into the creature where the fire's temperature was sure to equal that of Hell's, Sonic was sure. His golden fur that usually would've kept him safe began to singe, and he swam through the fire towards the real emeralds, hoping for a miracle.

_'You're not gonna get out of this alive.'_

_ 'Isn't that what a true hero knows in every circumstance?'_

He reached out a burnt hand.

_'Maybe I'll live…'_

_ 'Such faith. How can you be so sure?'_

His hand touched the nearest emerald.

The golden hedgehog smirked.

_'Well, for starters, I just won. So why not have faith?'_

Power was entering the hedgehog's once weakened heart, and he could feel it as his once burned hand went from being in pain to being completely healed. He felt like crying out for joy. The plan had worked. They would get out of this alive.

All of them.

"Thank you," he murmured softly.

Letting the power of the emeralds consume him, he bolted out of the monster's belly, and without hesitation or pain, attacked the unknowing monster again and again, until he was quiet sure it was destroyed.

Just as he left the monster to explode, he pulled Amy away from the creature's fiery fingers, and climbed into the darkened sky, away from the monster as it without warning, blew up.

It had been two years since Sonic or anyone in the team had seen such an explosion.

Tails, Cream and Amy gasped, and the pink one fainted, exhaustion taking its toil. Sonic and Knuckles smirked, a twinkle in their eyes.

They had won.

At first, everyone, the crowds, the heroes, were silent. The only sound was the wind as it softly exclaimed for the last time,

_'Sssstttteeeeaaalll it.'_

And then the cheering began. Cream and Tails laughed and cried, hugging each other all the while, Cream pretending not to notice her cheeks grow warm at Tails' welcomed embrace. Knuckles stood among the cheerers, gladly taking any small gesture or pat on the back from the crowd members who hadn't been injured themselves.

But Sonic didn't see any of this. All of his priorities were on Amy, who lay burnt and injured in his arms. Trying not to panic, he put his golden hand on her face, and he watched as her skin was suddenly pink again and not black, a smile spreading across his lips the whole time. Blinking, Amy awoke from her pain slowly, and she also smiled up at the yellow hedgehog before her.

"I thought I'd lost you," she whispered. She put her own hand on Sonic's, which still rested on her cheek. The hero smirked.

"Me? Loose a battle? You've _got_ to be joking." And before she could even respond, his mouth was on hers.

It didn't matter to either hedgehog that Howard might be watching from down below. In fact, both were secretly thinking in their hearts that if Howard was to still keep them separated, they could easily run off together. They had both reached a time where they didn't find it necessary to listen to someone Amy hadn't even known until a month earlier. And they _were_ both adults.

The kiss was the most passionate one the two had shared in a long time. Usually, Sonic didn't do kissing. But this time, he seemed to find an exception.

Amy had never hugged, let alone make-out with Sonic while he was super. And immediately she could tell a difference, not in the way he kissed, no; that could never be changed. But with power practically running down the golden hedgehog, Amy felt more alive than ever, and she put her arms around Super Sonic's neck, while the gold hedgehog ran a hand down her back softly, pulling her closer to him. The kiss seemed to last forever, but it was mere seconds before the two separated enough to breathe, and then they were back at it, the two never seeming to have enough until, finally, Sonic was aware of the rest of the world.

Looking away from Amy's jade eyes for only a second, the hedgehogs suddenly became aware of being watched by thousands of stranded people, and of course, Howard. But Sonic didn't feel intimidated by the red hedgehog any longer, and he slowly began floating down to ground level, his fur turning back to its famous blue. Amy snuggled into him, sighing happily for the first time in what seemed like forever. Words were not needed between them. Both knew that.

It didn't take long for the two of them to hit the ground, and instantly a crowd of fans was surrounding them. Smiling dumbly, Sonic showed a thumbs up.

"Everything is under control," he stated freely, laughing at how bluntly he had put it. Amy giggled beside him, and the blue hedgehog set her down on her own two feet. Her hand was instantly back in his, however, and the reunited love birds walked through the thickening crowd, looking for familiar faces.

"Sonic, we did it, we did it!" Turning to the sound of his brother, Sonic was quickly attacked by a young teenage fox, a rabbit close behind him, but she went for Amy instead. Laughing, the four friends laughed and cried together for a minute, allowing Knuckles to join their bubble when he eventually found them. Praises towards each other were made, as were jokes, but in the end, everyone's joy was cut short the instant a red hedgehog stepped towards the group.

Howard.

The red hedgehog limped up towards the five heroes, his face stern, but his leg seeming to scare the heroes even more. Blood was seeping out of a rather large cut, and everyone could tell that it had been smashed. Sonic, who had been standing tall and proud a minute before, lowered his ears at the sight. The blue hedgehog chuckled nervously, and he put a hand behind his head, scratching his neck.

"Um…I'll pay for the hospital bill-"

Howard raised a weary hand, and Sonic closed his mouth.

"I want only three things," he whispered. All ears were on him. "One," he looked over at his family, Jamie and Barbara, both with fresh tears from all their worry for the red hedgehog. "To redo the past month." Amy's eyes filled with hope. Barbara closed her eyes, letting the tears fall. Jamie blinked, confused. And Sonic squeezed Amy's hand reassuringly. "Two…" He looked away from the heroes then, looking guilty. "To ask for forgiveness. From all of you."

"Don't worry 'bout-" Sonic started, but again, Howard raised his hand, and Sonic stopped mid-sentence.

"And three..." Everyone was holding their breath by this point. "For Amy to move back home." There was an awkward silence.

"Does that mean they can go back together?" Jamie questioned, blinking as she cocked her head. Everyone knew who she was referring to when she said 'they.' Howard turned to his daughter and smiled gently at her. The child walked towards the red hedgehog and smiled back up at him. "I'm right, huh, Daddy?"

"Yes, sweetheart," he answered. The girl took her father's hand as she grinned ear to ear.

"Good."

But Sonic and Amy were still in shock.

_'It's happening…I can go back with Sonic!'_

_ 'Are you sure you're not dreaming?'_

"You mean it?" Sonic asked breathlessly. His expression matched that of a child, who was finally allowed to do something he'd only been dreaming about for years.

_'Somebody pinch me.'_

Sonic bit his lip.

Yeah, he was awake.

Howard nodded slightly, and Sonic beamed.

"You have _no_ idea how much this means, Howard, thank you-"

"No," Howard interrupted. "Thank you. Thank you for opening my eyes to true love. Thank you for showing me how much my family needs me…and for showing me how much I need them." The red hedgehog smiled knowingly at his wife, who walked up towards him, and took his other hand that Jamie wasn't squeezing. "You've done more than you know, Sonic. By offering your life to Amy two years ago, you've undoubtingly showed the whole world what true love is. And for that, you have my honor." Sonic took a step back, blinking in confusion.

"Whoa, man!" he exclaimed. "Enough with the long speeches!" Amy smiled at Sonic, seeing his true self come back for the first time, in a long time. His cocky side hadn't been around for so long, ever since the blue hedgehog had gotten back from the base. Maybe it was the battle. Maybe it had refreshed the hedgehog, like a nice, warm shower after a week of running to and fro. "Everyone's alive, right?" Sonic questioned. He waved his hand throughout the five heroes, Amy's family, and the crowd that still stood among them. "And we've all learned from experiences. Nothing new there."

At first, Howard didn't know if he should feel offended or not. But seeing Sonic's warm smile told him all he needed to know.

"You're right," the red hedgehog said.

"So…the past behind us?" Sonic questioned. His eyes held an unmistakable twinkle.

"Definitely," Howard replied.

"Good," Sonic quipped. He stuck out his free hand towards Howard. The red hedgehog, confused, stared at the hand, and then at Sonic. Sonic chuckled softly. "Hi," he started. "My name's Sonic. Sonic the Hedgehog. And yours?" Howard smiled at this, seeing that Sonic truly did want to start all over. He stuck out his own hand and the blue hedgehog shook it vigorously, making Amy laugh beside him.

"Howard," the red hedgehog replied. "I see you have a liking for my step-daughter."

"A liking?" Sonic voiced. He turned to the pink female. "Pardon me, sir, but 'a liking' is far from the dot. More like…"

"A head-over heels, lunatic, crazy, never there, kind of love?" Knuckles offered, and Sonic glared at his friend before breaking out in a smile.

"Exactly. Now if you excuse us, Amy and I have a run to go on." And before anyone could stop him, the blue hedgehog had Amy in his arms, and he took off at a speed that was uncommon to any creature beside himself. Laughing the whole time, Amy clutched to her boyfriend's chest, snuggling closer to his warmth.

_'Thank you.'_

Reaching a lake, Sonic screeched to a halt, and gently put Amy down beside him.

"What're we doing here?" Amy giggled as she felt Sonic take her hand.

"No reason," he answered. "I just…you know…"

"No, I don't know." Amy blinked in confusion as the two stopped at the edge of the water, and Sonic turned to her, mischief dancing in his green eyes. Leaning down towards her, Amy caught her breath, waiting impatiently for the kiss to begin. But it never did.

What _did_ happen was enough to make Amy scream wildly as she was suddenly thrown into the air and thrown into the cold lake water. Water quickly surrounded her, and she climbed back up towards the surface, inhaling the life-giving oxygen.

"Sonic the Hedgehog, you're gonna pay for that!" Sonic laughed, making his eyes start to water, and Amy swam towards the edge, where the water came up to her knees.

"Aw, come on, Ames, that was awesome! And I needed pay back from the last time, remember?" He continued laughing, until suddenly Amy was splashing him and she grabbed his feet, making him trip into the water by her.

"Hey!" Sonic gasped when Amy finally allowed him up for air. "That was cheating!"

"Sure it was," Amy murmured, and she rubbed her nose with his, making Sonic close his eyes in peace, trusting Amy to not let him drown (_'Like I can drown in two feet deep water,' _Sonic figured). "But you loved it."

"Not nearly as much as I love you," Sonic answered. His lips brushed past hers, and he opened his eyes vaguely. "Our love will never die. I hope you know that."

"Silly hedgehog," Amy whispered softly as Sonic kissed her own nose. "Of course I know that."

* * *

Hold on! The story's not over yet!


	15. 21st Charm

List: xxChanny-Smitchiexx, Lupus Silvae, Mike Prower the Fox, IHeartSonAmy, Vulpus Griseus, GalexiatheChao, Sonic5521, Zeldaskeeper, Silverdawn2010, Rugtugba, and Rachel-1994!

Whoo! I get the feeling you peepz enjoyed the last chapter a little too much, lol. Thank you all so much for sticking with me! Even in the times when I'd update slow, I knew I'd still have someone reading, and that means so much to me...Anyway, let's get a move on! Onwards, march!

* * *

Chapter 15

21st Charm

_Dear Amy,_

_Happy birthday! You're finally 21… _

The red hedgehog sighed miserably, and crumbled the letter similarly to the previous seven attempted letters, now all stuffed in a nearby waste basket. What could he possibly say in the letter? "I love you, you're an amazing half daughter"? It sounded so…he didn't know what it sounded like. Just not what he wanted. He felt compelled to say something more, to maybe…

Yes. He didn't want to admit it, but he wanted to apologize. For the millionth time, and he knew it. If Sonic were to hear his thoughts, the blue hedgehog would scoff and say, "Buddy, I thought we settled this two years ago!" But for some reason, the red hedgehog wanted to apologize personally to Amy, his beautiful half daughter. No, he didn't want to fill the whole letter with things like, "I'm so sorry, I should never have done that…I'm sorry again. Don't forget. Hey, did you know I was sorry?" That would be _so_ lame, as Jamie would say. And then again, he didn't want to avoid what he'd wanted to say for about two years.

Sighing once more, he picked up another piece of paper, and attempted another letter to his daughter.

_Dear Amy,_

_ Ah…I remember when I turned 21. I was so happy to be completely free from every single 'young adult' law. Not that I would want to drink alcohol-_

Nope. That was the worst beginning to a letter ever. Growling angrily to himself, he again crumbled the paper up and got out yet another piece of scratch paper.

And suddenly Barbara was peering over her husband's shoulders.

"Hey, what's up?" she whispered lovingly, noting his exasperation.

"I can't get this dumb letter started," the hedgehog mumbled, shaking his head. "You know, Amy's birthday letter."

"Why don't you just give her a card?" Barbara inquired, and Howard sighed. Again.

"I'm not too sure," he replied truthfully. "But…I feel I have more to say to her than the small space available for notes on a birthday card."

"So then, why don't you just say what's in your heart?" Howard rolled his eyes. If only, he figured, tapping his pen impatiently on his desk. Kissing his cheek, Barbara smiled down at him, before walking off, saying as she went, "You know Howard, Amy's a smart girl. Don't force fake words onto that paper. She'll know if you do."

Closing his weary eyes, the red hedgehog mumbled something incoherently under his breath. Why couldn't this be as easy as his brain had said it would be, when he'd decided to do this?

_'Say what's in your heart.'_

Fine. He would.

_Dear Amy,_

_ Happy birthday, honey! Guess what, you're finally 21! You have no idea how much Jamie envies you. Every day she comes home, sighs, and when Barbara or I ask what's up she'll say, "Why do I have to be so young?" It's starting to get annoying, as I'm sure you can imagine. But hey, I wouldn't trade her for the world, or you, for that matter._

_ I remember when I first met you, two years ago. You looked so young back then. Your smile was so bright, your laughter a beam of sunshine. But of course, you know I didn't realize this until, well, a year or so ago. _

_ You want to know what else I admire about you? You never give up on people. You're so much like your mother in that regard. Somehow she's managed to stick with me, and somehow you've managed to stick with me and that annoying blue hedgehog._

_ But you know I'm completely joking about Sonic. He's like a son to me, and you know that's true. He never gives up on people either, does he? I'll have to tell him sometime how much that means to me…_

_ You made the right choice, Amy. And I know I didn't, when I first met that scrawny, cocky hedgehog two years back. I should've given him a chance in our lives, like everyone else was begging I do. _

_ I'm sorry for the way I treated you and Sonic. I'm sorry I ruined what could've been a remarkable and life changing month for you two._

_ I know I've said that a million times, and I'm sure it's getting old to hear me say, every single birthday, "I'm sorry." But really, honey, I don't know how I can repay the debt._

The doorbell suddenly rang, and Jamie practically flew to the door, yelling the whole way,

"I'll get it!"

Having hardly heard the doorbell, Howard glanced down at his letter, which wasn't done. But at least it wasn't awful. He'd actually done a good job with it so far.

"Dad! Sonic's here!" The voice belonged to Jamie, but somehow Howard only heard the word 'Sonic'. Blinking, the red hedgehog smiled and got up from his seat.

'_It's funny,' _he mused. _'I write about the hedgehog, and he shows up. Uncanning.'_

"Hey, Sonic!" the red hedgehog called when he saw the blue hedgehog. Smiling a bit at the sight of the older hedgehog, Sonic stuck out his hand, allowing Howard to shake it before showing his usual cocky grin.

"It's been a while," Sonic quipped. "What's been happenin'?"

"Nothing really," Howard replied, leading the two of them to the living room. "What about you? You seem to have news." Sonic's smile turned puzzled.

"You noticed, eh?"

"I'm a father, Sonic. I notice the smallest face expressions." Sonic smirked, understanding.

"Ah," he replied, an uncharacteristically short answer, and the two of them sat down, Howard looking mildly curious.

"So..." he started slowly. "What's going on?" Sonic took a quick deep breath.

"I came to ask ya somethin'," he practically whispered.

* * *

"Wow, thanks, Tails!" Amy cried, staring breathlessly down at the laptop in her lap. "You seriously made this from scratch? And when did you possibly have the spare time to do this? I mean, with all your tinkering with the Tornado and your job…" The fox blushed and looked away, pleased that Amy seemed so excited over such a simple thing as a laptop.

"It was nothin'," the fox replied truthfully. "It's actually really easy to make one. I would show you, but I decided against it." Amy laughed and reached out to hug the fox, who smiled broadly.

"Thanks, buddy," she whispered, and she pulled back. Looking around the room, the pink hedgehog couldn't help but smile. Here was all of her close friends; Cream and Cheese, Tails, Knuckles, Vanilla, and of course, Sonic. And her mother, father and younger sister were all there too, helping her celebrate her twenty-first birthday.

"Amy, hurry up!" Jamie squealed excitedly, pulling the pink hedgehog out of her daydream. "Here, this is from Daddy." She pushed a letter towards her older sister, and Amy smiled as she picked up the letter, and ripped it open.

_Dear Amy,_

_Happy birthday, honey! Guess what, you're finally 21! You have no idea how much Jamie envies you. Every day she comes home, sighs, and when Barbara or I ask what's up she'll say, "Why do I have to be so young?" It's starting to get annoying, as I'm sure you can imagine. But hey, I wouldn't trade her for the world, or you, for that matter._

_I was going to give you a huge, long letter about, again, how sorry I am for what I did two years ago. But then, I realized (actually, Sonic made me realize) that as long as I helped Sonic with his present to you, I would repay the debt a thousand times over. _

Amy blinked, confused, and she looked up from the letter. Suddenly she realized something: Sonic hadn't given her a present yet. Howard's letter was the last thing in the pile, and she looked over at Sonic, who just sat there, looking excited, looking happy, and looking…something. But what it was, she couldn't place it. Shrugging, the pink hedgehog went back to the letter.

_So, instead of a letter about my apologies, this will be a letter about what I admire about you._

_You never give up on people. _

_You can stand up for yourself._

_You've gone through so much, what with Eggman, new worlds, saving the universe…and you've never given up._

_You helped me and your mother stay strong when things got tough._

_You chose a good guy._

_There's much more to this list, but I think this should suffice for this year. Happy birthday, honey._

_Love,_

_Dad_

Amy blinked away tears and looked up at Howard, her father. It had taken her months to be able to say "Dad" and not "Howard", but she had done it, and now, saying his real name only was used by her to get his attention.

"Happy birthday, honey," the red hedgehog whispered. "Sorry about not having a gift, but-"

The red hedgehog was interrupted by a hug from his daughter.

"Thanks, Daddy," she murmured, and she pulled away, smiling happily at her father. She had never called him "Daddy", before. That had always been saved for her real father. Howard blinked away tears of his own, and looked away.

"You're welcome."

There was a comfortable silence between the whole group, as Amy again looked over all of them. How blessed she was, she realized. She had a great family, great friendships…and there was nothing more she could want.

Except. There was something she was hoping Sonic would say and do soon. But she could wait until he was good and ready.

Sonic. She suddenly remembered that he still hadn't given her a present.

This puzzled her, for he always had something up his sleeve. Had he not been able to find something when he had gone shopping?

"Don't worry, Amy." It was Sonic's voice, and she looked over at him expectantly. "I do have your gift. I'm only savin' it for when we're alone." His eyes twinkled an unspoken excitement, and Amy couldn't help but smile back to him, anticipation dancing around in her heart.

_What if…?_

"Well," Knuckles suddenly said, breaking the lover's gaze, "how about some cake?" Jamie squealed in delight, and she raced into Amy's kitchen, followed closely by Cream, her new best friend, where they knew the cake would be. Everyone in the room laughed, and soon Jamie and Cream were back out with a vanilla and chocolate cake covered in white and pink icing. Twenty-one candles covered the top of the gorgeous cake, and scrawled on the top of the cake in pink icing were the words, "Happy Birthday Amy!"

Lighting the candles, the group began to sing "Happy Birthday", and Amy smiled brightly. Life seemed so perfect right now. Nothing could take her joy away.

A warm hand was suddenly in her own hand, and she didn't even need to look down to know it was Sonic's hand, and she squeezed it happily, remembering as she did so the times she'd run up to him and squeeze the living day lights out of him. She giggled at the memory, and she turned her gaze to Sonic, who sang and smiled at her, his expression saying thousands of things. But all in all, she knew his look meant "I love you".

And things were really right in the world.

With the song over, cheers ran out, and then the cake was suddenly on everyone's plate. Laughter and chatter filled the room. Joy and contentment overflowed through every single heart.

And suddenly, Sonic was pulling Amy away from her family and friends, and she looked up at him, confused, as he opened the door to the house, picked Amy up bridal style, and zoomed off into the afternoon. Even in her confusion, Amy couldn't help but laugh out loud as she observed the world blur in front of her at Sonic's remarkable speed. She would always love runs like these, she realized. When she could contemplate life, when she could feel the wind pushing at her, but feel safer than when she sat at home alone, when she could watch her boyfriend's feet pound at the ground with a rhythm no one else could master. It was times like these that she'd realize that she wasn't just in love with Sonic, but that she was in love with the wind.

Which, really, the wind and Sonic were only different in that Sonic could be seen, and the wind could only be felt.

Other than that, they shared their speed, intensity, and carefree attitudes. Where the wind blew, Sonic was sure to follow. They were like soul mates. They _were_ soul mates. But in a way that could never be fully understood or tamed. And even though Amy was in the picture, she didn't feel all that jealous towards the wind. Because she had fallen for it too.

And just as suddenly as Sonic had taken off, he skidded to a halt, and the world was quickly back to being still. A bit dizzy, Amy shook her head and gazed back up at Sonic, who grinned cheekily.

"Come on," he quipped, and he set her down on her own two feet, grabbed her hand, and walked off into a forest he had stopped by. Amy couldn't help but glance at her surroundings. Sonic had never taken her here, and she had seen a lot within the last few years with him. A deep growling like sound sounded relentlessly from somewhere deep within the forest, and Amy's excitement grew.

"Where are we?" she inquired, loving the feeling of butterflies in her stomach.

"Somewhere," Sonic replied. "I stumbled upon it the other day on one of my runs. I knew you'd like it." Amy nodded, blindly following him as he passed underneath a pine tree's branch.

And suddenly, they were in a clearing.

It was one of the most beautiful spots Sonic had ever taken her, and she was hardly aware when the blue hedgehog dropped her hand and pulled something out of his quills slowly. Sonic had taken her to a waterfall. But it wasn't like one of those tall, lean waterfalls up against an enormous cliff. No, it was many small waterfalls, with a few larger ones flowing freely from behind. The water was a deep and clean blue, the rocks covered with natural green slime, and holes as if they were volcanic. Greenery surrounded the whole area, and birds hopped around on the rocks, searching for some sort of food. In front of her feet, was what appeared to be a small pond, where the water was the most calm. But it wasn't a pond, for when Amy turned around she was amazed to find out that she was standing on a cliff, where the small pond dropped off in the form of a large waterfall. Amy gasped, awed by the whole landscape, and she turned to Sonic, fully expecting him to be smiling proudly.

But he wasn't. He looked scared to death.

"Sonic?" Her voice seemed to bring the blue hedgehog out of himself, and he glanced up at her, smiling weakly. "Sonic?" she asked again, concern covering her face. "Are you alright? You're so…pale."

"It's nothin'," the hedgehog lied, and he shoved a small box into her hands, closing them with his own hands, and he looked back up at her, his face, which had mirrored that of a ghost's now turning back to normal. "Go on," he urged her, giving her his trademark grin. "Open it."

She didn't need to be told twice. Ripping the wrapping off the small box, her eyes instantly fell on a small, velvet covered black box.

Her heart stopped in her throat.

_Could it be…?_

She looked again at Sonic, who smiled tenderly at her. Suddenly, she recalled that the blue hedgehog was being a little more quiet than usual these days. And having read many romance stories in her life time, she had heard that when a boy starts to pay a little less attention to you, out of the blue, it meant either two things.

Either he'd met another girl, better than the present women he had in his heart.

Or he was worried about asking one simple question.

Her heart was beating again, not because she figured Sonic had met another girl, but because she was just _that_ excited. So excited, in fact, that she didn't notice that Sonic was smirking, and he wasn't on his hands and knees, like he should be, if he was proposing. Slowly, she opened the box, preparing herself to see an engagement ring.

But, to her hearts dismay, it wasn't even a ring.

It was a beautiful silver necklace, shaped in a heart however. Engraved in the delicate silver were words in cursive that said, "Forever. Sonic and Amy".

Her heart melted. Sonic wasn't even a natural romantic, and he always seemed to know what to give her.

'_It isn't a ring.'_

'_It's a promise.'_

'_It's not _the_ promise.'_

"Go on, open it up," Sonic said smugly, and Amy gingerly pulled it out of the box, seeing for the first time that it was a locket. Her fingers fumbling, she carefully opened the small locket, and instantly, she recognized the picture.

"Our picture," she murmured before she could stop herself. She traced a finger lovingly along the outline of the picture of her jumping Sonic, and Sonic smiling.

"It's a timeless picture," Sonic whispered, stepping closer to his girlfriend. Again, he pulled something out of his quills, unbeknownst to Amy, and she looked on the other side of the locket, where more words were engraved.

She said yes. 2010-Forever.

Amy gasped. Was this what she thought it was…?

A hand was in her own suddenly, and she looked down, noticing for the first time that Sonic was on his hands and knees, with a black velvet box opened in his hand. Inside of it, was a gold ring, with a flawless, bright diamond.

_Oh. My. Gosh._

The blue hedgehog swallowed a good amount of times, before he dared look up at Amy's tear streaked face. But he knew she was crying because she was happy. Or at least, he hoped that was why. Because, what if she really didn't _want_ to marry him?

"Ames..." His voice was hesitant, and he looked back down. He had never felt so scared before, even when battling Eggman, four years back. He tried again. "Amy…" His voice was stronger now, more confident, even though he didn't feel any more confident than he had a second ago. "Will you…"

And suddenly his voice was completely lost. He bit his lip, feeling foolish. This wasn't going according to plan. Why couldn't he just look back up at her, grin his famous grin, and say with no hesitance, "Ames, I love you. Will you marry me?" But he couldn't.

"Will I say yes?" Her voice seemed just as hesitant, just as quiet, but he managed to hear it, and he looked up and nodded. Amy smiled suddenly, tears falling like rain. "Try again," she managed to whisper, her voice giddy but fogged with emotion. Sonic again nodded.

"Will you…" He sighed, exasperation for himself growing. Looking back up, his look appeared pleading, like a begging puppy, but in his eyes, he managed a light twinkle that he knew Amy wouldn't miss. "Marry me?" he asked softly. Her giggle was the only thing he could hear, and suddenly she was crying even harder, and she lunged down towards him, the way she had done so long ago, before Sonic loved her and had thought her clingy. But right now, she didn't seem at all clingy, as she cried into his chest, and he wrapped his arms around her, smiling in relief and letting out a breath he didn't know he'd been holding.

"Yes," he eventually heard her murmur when her tears of joy turned into more grins. She looked up from his chest then, finding only love and relief dancing in her fiancé's eyes. Gently, Sonic caressed her nearby cheek, and she closed her eyes, leaning her head against his head.

And suddenly his lips were on hers, and their first kiss as fiancé and fiancée began.

And as the kiss got deeper, Sonic wondered why he had even worried in the slightest about Amy's answer. After all, she'd only been dreaming about this for, what, nine years?

After what felt like hours to the two hedgehogs, Sonic gently pulled away, and panting, the two opened their eyes, their gazes meeting in an instant. Smirking, Sonic whispered,

"I love you."

Amy giggled, and leaned in to his chest, snuggling into him.

"I love you."

* * *

Whoo! Hmm, in a way, I want this to be the last chapter, so I can move on with the other, bigger stories. But alas, I don't think it is…Should I fit the wedding chapter in with Kyler? Or should it just be a oneshot? Maybe I'll do the oneshot idea…

Anyway! No matter what I do, this'll be the time for the long author's note, hehe. 'Cause, I've been lookin' forward to it. So, with this story done, I have many others to get to. Number one, the new version of _Tails the Fox at 15_ should be comin' your way really soon! Number two, I have my new story _How to Act_ to get crackin' on...Number three, I've already started _Kyler: The Untold Story_, so I need to put more attention to that one as well…and number four, my lovely little drabble series. Whoa, I have more to do than I thought! Better get started then!

Thank you all so much for taking the time to read this story. It means a lot to me that someone cares about Sonic the way I do; until I started writing here I was basically a loner in my love for Sonic lol. Thank you also for all your support through reviews, messages, or even just favoriting this story. I hope you're all having a great summer, and I look forward to seeing some of you again in future stories. Thanks again!

~Ksonic~


	16. Epilogue

Epilogue

The blue hedgehog woke up earlier than usual that morning. The sun wasn't due for another hour, and there were no birds chirping, only crickets. The moon was half way up in the sky, a full moon, dull due to the fact that dawn was slowly approaching. The wind was soft, gentle, but the cobalt hedgehog sighed happily as it messed with his long quills.

Comprehension hit the hedgehog slowly, for he was too focused on how happy he was on the foggy morning. But suddenly he realized _why_ he was so happy, and he realized it was not just because of the mysterious morning that stirred his soul as he sat up and stretched.

He remembered having a hard time sleeping the previous night, and he remembered running to Amy's house, where he must've fallen asleep on her roof, for he quickly realized that he was stretching on her familiar roof. His grin expanded.

Ten seconds later, the hedgehog jumped down from the roof and after a quick ten second run through the nearby meadow to burn some energy off, he headed towards Amy's window, which she left open almost every night. He watched her sleep, noting how restless her sleeping face appeared, and yet excited at the same time. A surge of joy rushed through the hedgehog. He knew why she wore the look.

Turning from his fiancée, he focused his gaze on Kyler, their adopted child. She had arrived on Amy's doorstep four months earlier in the middle of a snow storm, and the two had rescued the child from near death. The male hedgehog smiled warmly at the baby, watching the child suck her thumb, a habit she seemed more keen to than most children.

The pink hedgehog stirred in her sleep, and Sonic turned back to his fiancée, grinning. Reaching into his quills, the hedgehog pulled out a fresh violet rose that he had found only seconds earlier in the meadow. He stared at it with awe, thinking of the day so many years ago when he had given a rose just like this to Amy, to keep her believing that maybe someday he could settle down with her.

His grin couldn't help but get wider as he set the rose down on her nearby pillow and kissed her forehead, thinking of her excitement when she'd wake up to find the rose by her pillow. And then he was running off into the world, burning off excitement so he wouldn't make a complete fool of himself in mere hours.

_'Today is the day…'_

_

* * *

_Excitement and joy was coursing through everyone's veins, even Howard's, Amy could tell. Her eyes were alit as her mother, sister, Tia, and Cream giggled next to her, all seeming to talk at the same time. Young Kyler sat nearby, a look of confusion written across her face, for she sensed a change, and Amy laughed out loud as she picked up the startled child, hugging her close.

"Kyler…" She said the name softly, joy pouring from the one word. "Kyler, you ready to have a real Daddy?"

The baby wiggled restlessly in her mother's arms, and young Jamie laughed as she reached up for her niece, taking the baby out of the bride's arms.

"I'm sure she already thinks Sonic's her Dad," Cream stated, her voice polite like usual, but full of a sense of wonder. Amy giggled at Cream's words, remembering all the times in the past months that Sonic has shown up at her house to help care for young Kyler.

"I can't believe this is happening to me," Amy breathed, and yet, her breath was nearly lost as she chanced a glance outside, where she saw a perfect, beautiful day awaiting her. She had always dreamed of a wedding just like this. And today it would finally happen, and with _Sonic_.

_'Today is the day…'_

A knock at the door startled the girls, and they all giggled when they realized the knocker was none other than Tails.

"You girls about ready?" the kitsune asked through the door, his once child-like voice seeming too deep to Amy. She sighed at the thought, remembering when the boy had been eight years old, not even knowing that his voice would someday change, just like her life had changed. She smiled as distant and recent memories danced around in her brain, some images slowing down just enough for her to recall the moment as if it were yesterday. Like the time Sonic had come back from Earth. Or the time Sonic had first kissed her. Or the time Sonic had come home from being Eggman's slaves. Or the time she had first kissed Sonic in Super form.

And she knew that this exact moment in time would someday be among all her memories within her brain. She knew that she would someday be able to recall to her and Sonic's future children all of her thoughts that she was experiencing at the time.

"Almost ready Tails," Tia called back to the fox, bringing Amy back to the real world. "Tell Sonic to be patient. His wife has to look her best."

"I'm sure he'd be just fine with how she is now," Tails muttered under his breath, impatient as well, but he smiled warmly and backed away from the door nonetheless, trying to wait for the girls as they finished up with Amy.

Turning back to her friends, Amy grinned, giggling as Cream motioned her friend to sit in a nearby chair. Obliging, the pink hedgehog glanced into the mirror as she watched Cream delicately place a flower crown made of pink and blue hydrangeas on Amy's head. Instead of a veil, Amy had asked Cream to make a flower crown for herself and for her bride's maids. And as she gazed up at the flowery crown, she grinned brightly, tears forming as she reached up a hand and stroked the soft petals.

"Now, don't smear your mascara," Barbara murmured softly, but even so she hastily wiped away her own tears, laughing softly. "You're so beautiful, sweetie." A lone tear trailed down Amy's face, and she turned to her mother, a smile full of joy and excitement appearing on her face as she stood and took her mother's hands in hers.

"I'm so glad I found you for this moment," she whispered, sniffling. "I'm so glad I have you and Jamie and Howard to help me celebrate."

The older of the two smiled. "Me too, darling."

* * *

_Are you ready for this?_

To tell the truth, he wasn't all that sure. Yes, he had spent the better part of his last few years with Amy. Yes, he and Amy were madly in love. And yes, he and Amy had gone through _so_ much together, ever since they had met. But even so, as he stood outside by the church, waiting for Amy's appearance and watching the crowd talk quietly in their seats, a mad sense of fear pulled at his heartstrings. What if this wouldn't work out? What if neither of them were ready for this? After all, they were both in their early twenties. Things could change. Things could change in an instant. And he _would_ know. He had seen so many changes in his life. And how was he to know if this change would be good or bad for him and Amy?

"Stop worrying," Tails said beside the blue hedgehog, and Sonic jumped lightly, having forgotten that someone was standing beside him. Turning to the fox, he smiled weakly.

"Me, worried?" he replied, pretending assurance, and Tails shook his head, smiling gently at his older brother, and put a hand on the blue hedgehog's shoulder.

"You two are practically one already anyway," the kitsune pointed out. "All ya need now are the rings and papers for proof." Sonic nodded slowly.

"Things can change," he whispered, his earlier façade disappearing, and he looked down.

"Not with you and Amy," Tails answered. "You and her have already gone through your change. You fell in _love_ with her. There's no going back. Not now. Not ever."

The blue hedgehog sighed, hating all this doubt that usually never bugged his mind, and he slowly began to pace on the grass beneath his feet, making Tails chuckle lightly.

"You're not gonna give up, are ya?" Tails continued. "After all you've gone through, what with slavery, Howard…"

Sonic snorted.

"Me, give up?" he questioned, looking back up at the fox, determination written across his face. "Never. But that still doesn't stop the questions." And then the fox understood.

"Well…then what about Kyler?" Tails persisted, determined to win this argument.

"What about her?"

"You're already a family, Sonic!" Tails exclaimed. "Kyler may not be your flesh and blood, and Amy may not have the ring, but…you're in love, Sonic. And nothing can change love, if it's genuine."

A silence. A weary sigh from the fox. And than Sonic rose his head back up, his gaze returning to the perfect, clear day that had greeted him hours ago. And with a smile and even watery eyes, he turned to the fox.

"Thanks, buddy."

The fox smiled with relief.

"Anytime."

"…But I don't think I can put up with this tie much longer." The blue hedgehog pulled impatiently at the tie, irritated by its tightness, and Tails laughed out loud.

Yes, the fox realized. Sonic was still alive and well, still Sonic, even within the suit.

And then the music from the piano began to play, and the blue hedgehog anxiously glanced up, his eyes hitting Amy instantly.

The fox heard Sonic gasp. And he watched as the blue hedgehog opened and closed his mouth like some weird fish over and over, amazed, shocked, awed, by his wife-to-be's appearance. Smiling, Tails watched as Amy, having caught Sonic's look, blushed deeply, looking down at her feet where purple, yellow, and blue flower petals lay from Jamie's basket of petals earlier.

"Go on and close your mouth 'fore Eggman shoots a missile in it," Tails heard Knuckles whisper beside him, more to himself than anybody else, and the fox stifled a snicker. But when he looked back at Sonic, the hedgehog was still amazed, and Amy was still blushing, but now looking up at her soon to be husband, looking elated, joyful, and even a little nervous, just like Sonic. Next to her was Howard, his arm linked with hers, his face showing many emotions, most unreadable. But one emotion showed up clear as day, and Tails saw it as pride.

Looking to the audience, the kitsune noted Barbara; crying for joy and even a bit for sadness, for her daughter was now being taken away from her a second time. The look on her face was so genuine of that of a mother's, that Tails looked away, blinking back tears of wonder, for he was witnessing more love in this single moment than he had ever before. Kyler, the little blue hedgehog Amy had adopted that Tails loved to call his niece, sat on the lap of Amy's mother, staring up at her mom and soon to be dad with a look of curiosity and puzzlement.

And as the fox observed the emotions on everyone's faces-the Chaotix team, Vanilla, Cream and Cheese, Rouge- he somehow felt like he was eavesdropping on a moment. He felt like he wasn't supposed to be there. He didn't _feel_ like he was there.

And although Sonic's world and visage had shrunk down to Amy, and although he didn't and couldn't notice anyone else's reactions, he felt the same as his brother. He didn't think he was alive. He didn't think he was meant to be with the gorgeous pink hedgehog walking down the aisle made of grass and flower petals. And when he finally closed his mouth for the last time, his eyes remained huge.

Reaching out a hand, the blue hedgehog took his fiancée's arm when she finally reached him, and the male was hardly aware of Howard as he let go of Amy, whispering his last words of encouragement as he took his seat by his wife. Immediately upon sitting, Barbara took her own husband's hand. And memories of their own wedding years before flooded through their souls.

The only thing Sonic would remember of the moment was Amy's warm, soft hand in his, and her bright jade eyes as she searched his face, looking for the same emotions she so deeply displayed on her sleeve. And when she found the same emotions, plus some, she couldn't help but blush again and giggle.

_This is really happening to me…to us._

Semi-consciously, the pair turned towards the pastor, vaguely hearing his words as he began his speech, their hands intertwined.

"We are gathered here today, to unite two lovers, Sonic the Hedgehog, and Amy Rose, into one body and mind…"

The wind shuffled, blowing Sonic's long quills and Amy's simple yet elegant white dress. Bright green leaves danced along, and a few tree blossoms fell around the little abode, some falling next to the pair, and Tails watched them fall steadily to the ground with awe. Even Knuckles would later admit: the scene was beautiful. Kyler wiggled in her grandmother's lap, impatient, but upon seeing a blossom fall right into her mother's quills she stopped, observing true beauty for her very first time. An eagle soared high in the sky, and its voice rang strong and true through the rolling hills the wedding took place on. A lone tree sat within the picture, a tree Sonic had always loved to recline against. And a tree with initials.

"Do you, Sonic the Hedgehog, take Amy Rose, as your lawfully wedded wife? Do you promise to love her and cherish her, so long as you both shall live?"

Two words. That was all it would take. Two words and she'd be his, forever. As long as she replied back the same two words as he.

"I do."

"Do you, Amy Rose, take Sonic the Hedgehog, as your lawfully wedded husband?"

Memories. Such strong and acute memories again began to dance in Amy's mind.

"Do you promise to love, and cherish him…"  
A cocky grin. A laugh. A smirk. A wink. They all showed up in her brain.

"So long, as you both shall live?"

His eyes…they were so breath-taking. And his quills so fine and sharp. And then there was his speed, so different from anything else she had ever known, so different was the rhythm of his feet as they'd pound against the earth, step by step, mile by mile.

She turned to the blue hedgehog, thinking of all the times they'd had together, thinking of all the times he'd been there for her, thinking of all the times he'd be there to create more memories with her and Kyler and their future children in the years to come.

And she said two words.

"I do."

A hug and a kiss. A long separation and than a date. A month and than two years. A birthday.

They had all led up to this one moment.

"You may now kiss the bride."

And the two kissed. For the first time as a married couple, and Amy cried as Sonic cupped her face with his hands, enjoying the moment, splurging on the moment. Cheers rang out, Tails and Cream were jumping up and down, Knuckles was _smiling_, Amy's mother was crying, Kyler was blinking in a dazed state, Jamie was whooping, Tia was laughing, and Howard… His look was unreadable. And yet, at the same time, his emotions rang clear and true.

He was incredibly proud.

* * *

The recession was short, for according to Sonic the location for the honeymoon would take a few hours to get to, and even at his incredible speed. By now, the sun was lowering from the sky, and a lot of the guests had already left. The only ones remaining were Sonic and the rest of the Team, along with Barbara, Jamie, Howard, and Kyler. While the Sonic Team talked of old memories, mainly of the ones with Sonic running from his wife, Kyler and Jamie played with some baby toys on the church's hardwood floor, and Amy's parents stood not too far off, observing, reflecting. The red hedgehog's hand rested on his wife's shoulder for support, knowing that today had been emotional for her, what with her first daughter being married and all.

"Remember when you first met him?" Barbara asked her husband as she watched the blue hedgehog laugh and encircle a loving arm around Amy's waist, no doubt proving to the rest of the Team, that yes, the old days _were_ the old days.

"Yes," came Howard's course reply, and he smiled softly. "Do you remember when _we_ met?" The pink hedgehog's face flushed, and suddenly she felt young, like Amy as Howard lifted one of her hands and kissed it gently.

"Yes. I remember."

The moment was broken suddenly by Sonic's loud voice, as he turned to his new in-laws, smiling.

"Ames and I are off," he stated, his arm still around his girl's waist, and Howard noted Amy's flushed face and wide smile, and he nodded.

"You sure you're alright with Kyler for ten days?" Amy questioned her mother, and Barbara laughed.

"Oh, come now dear," she started, "I raised you and Jamie. I can handle a baby for ten days."

"You're sure?"

"Kyler won't be a problem. Now, off you two go! I wouldn't want to be the cause of you two being late to your destination."

"Don't worry 'bout that," Sonic assured, winking. "We got time to spare, actually." Together the pair turned to the baby and consequently Jamie. Loosening his grip on his wife, at least for the moment, Sonic and Amy crouched down to the floor, saying goodbye to the child for the time being. Confused and a bit flustered from all the odd excitement of the day, Kyler whimpered and turned back to her toys, and Amy sighed, smiling lightly at the child as she kissed her on the forehead. Sonic chuckled and fluffed the girl's spines, something he knew the girl loved, even though she often pretended to hate it, and tonight's fluff was no different as she glared up at her father. The pair laughed and pulled away, their hands immediately intertwined once again.

"Well kids, it's been cool," Sonic quipped, turning back to the others, "but we've gotta split. We'll send postcards, don't worry." He winked again, and Amy smiled lovingly, seeing the hedgehog she hadn't thought she'd see again after his slavery. But than he'd practically gone back to normal-cocky, funny, carefree- when he'd defeated the fire monster two and a half years ago. It was like closure, Amy often thought. She was glad to have Sonic, the real Sonic with a few modifications, back.

Suddenly Sonic was picking her up, and she giggled as he put her in her usual spot in his arms when they were about to go on a run. For once, the term bridal style fit. Wrapping her arms around his neck, she nuzzled into his warm chest, resisting a witty comment on how the suit was scratchy against her muzzle until later, when they were alone.

But before she could even consider making the comment, the wind was in her ears, and she laughed, loving the feel of the wind, loving the feel of Sonic. His speed had never seemed so intense before, his grip never so protective and loving as he swerved this way and that, barely missing objects such as rocks or trees that sprang up out of nowhere.

Skidding to a sudden halt, the blue hedgehog set his rose down, but before she could even catch her bearings, he was kissing her, so fervently that whatever breath Amy had left was knocked out of her. When he finally pulled away, he smirked lightly at his wife, gazing at her dazed face with joy.

"Had to get it out of my system," he apologized, and Amy laughed, throwing her head back towards the heavens, thanking the Creator for this moment, this day, as she pulled herself back into Sonic's lips for a second dose of his love.

Love. A word so often overused. But too underused for her and Sonic.

* * *

Well…I'm sorry to say I forgot about saying I might add the wedding chapter to this story. It's been a while since I finished this so…

Anyway, this is officially the last chapter! We can all thank **Some Random Loner **for reminding me in his/her review about how I was debating adding the wedding chapter. Thank you all my faithful reviewers and readers for loving this story throughout all the chapters! I love all your reviews, favorite author/story alerts, story alerts, etc. They all make me smile a lot. ^_^ Thanks for reading!

~Ksonic~


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